Microsoft seems -- finally -- to have got the hang of its six monthly update schedule for Windows 10. Not only has it pushed out the April 2018 Update to over 50 percent of Windows 10 users in a very short space of time, but the next feature update, codenamed Redstone 5, is shaping up very nicely already. The big new feature in this next major update is Sets, and Build 17682 introduce some improvements to it based on Insider feedback. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out at an impressive rate Windows XP 2018 Edition is the… [Continue Reading]

Believe it or not, Groove Music was a very good streaming music service. Unfortunately for Microsoft, consumers largely did not give it a chance, causing it to shut down. Despite the service dying, the Groove Music apps have lived on. Sadly, Microsoft today announces that it is killing the mobile apps for both iOS and Android later this year on December 1, 2018. What does the company recommend these mobile users do? Switch to Windows Phone, of course! No, seriously... ALSO READ: Motorola Moto G6 is the newest Amazon Prime Exclusive Phone The Windows-maker says, "Your personal music files will… [Continue Reading]

Xiaomi follows a pretty basic recipe when designing a new high-end smartphone: it has to give consumers lots more bang for the buck than the competition. So, its flagships tend to offer very similar specs to their main rivals and cost hundreds of dollars less. They do, however, lack the edge that many buyers in this segment look for: a compelling feature or benefit to make them stand out from the crowd. The new line of flagships introduced today is different. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition, which sits above the Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE in the company's lineup,… [Continue Reading]

A large majority of people say they are concerned about their online privacy, but this is not reflected in their actions according to a new study. The survey from Blue Fountain Media reveals that 90 percent of respondents are very concerned about their internet privacy and 48 percent wish 'more was being done about it'. Yet despite this 60 percent of those polled happily download apps without reading terms and conditions, and close to 20 percent still download apps even when they have read the terms and don't like them. A third of those polled say they would delete an… [Continue Reading]

Power banks are a dime a dozen nowadays, offering a way to ensure that your phone stays charged while you're on the move and away from a power socket. But while there are plenty of power banks with USB connections, what about those devices that require AC power? There are some laptops that can charge using a USB-C connection, but most need AC -- and this is where the RAVPower AC Outlet 27000mAh Power Bank can help. As you might guess from the name, this is a portable battery pack that offers 27000mAh of power and could just save you… [Continue Reading]

Kaspersky has had something of a tough time of it over the last year, first being hit by a ban on its software being used by the US government, and then a ban on advertising on Twitter. The Russian company sued the Trump administration over the software ban, and a judge has now dismissed the suits. Kaspersky Lab had been looking to overturn the governmental ban, saying "we've done nothing wrong" in response to claims that the company is linked to the Russian government. The firm says it plans to appeal against the latest ruling. See also: Kaspersky to move… [Continue Reading]

As one of the most iconic IT companies in the world, Google is, unsurprisingly, a popular place to work. Reports have indicated the company gets about one million resumes every single year. Google needs to have a solid system in place to narrow down its applicant pools and choose the best people for each open position. What exactly does this process look like, and how can other IT employers learn from it? Let’s take a closer look at Google’s hiring, onboarding, and background check processes to find the answer. The Google Hiring Process As an employer, Google doesn’t have a… [Continue Reading]

The UK retail sector is in a state of flux, with well-known businesses like Mothercare, Debenhams and New Look closing down stores and cutting jobs, while high-street stalwarts like House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer are struggling to keep their head above water and their income out of the red. One of those retailers, Marks & Spencer (M&S), has turned to revitalizing its IT department in a bid to remain competitive and focus on returning profits to their previous highs. This new Technology Transformation Programme saw 250 roles move over to Tata Consulting in March, but remain based in… [Continue Reading]

Quality routers don't have to cost an arm and a leg. Nowadays, believe it or not, a solid Wi-Fi router can be had for under $100. No, these aren't using outdated specifications -- they are 802.11ac. Today, TP-Link launches a new router that is shockingly affordable. The "Archer A7," as it is called, features dual band 802.11ac, a USB 2.0 port, three high-power antennas, and gigabit Ethernet. Despite its low cost, it has Amazon Alexa integration too. You can even manage the router settings using a smartphone app -- in addition to the web interface. "Designed with three high-gain antennas… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out feature updates for Windows 10 twice a year, often at quite glacial speeds. The Creators Update, released last Spring, was particularly slow and problematic. By the time its successor arrived, six months later, over a quarter of users (27.5 percent) still didn’t have it. The Fall Creators Update push was, in comparison, much smoother. Helped by the delay in getting the Spring 2018 Update out of the door, it managed to make its way on to more than 92 percent of Windows 10 PCs, making it the most installed Windows 10 update ever. SEE ALSO: How to… [Continue Reading]

It's well known that sound at particular levels can cause problems -- we've all seen demonstrations of wine glasses being shattered by high frequencies, for example. You might not think that's much of an issue for computers, but researchers at the University of Michigan and Zhejiang University in China have shown that sounds can be used to interfere with disks. Last year Princeton researchers showed it was possible to carry out denial of service attacks on hard disk drives, stopping CCTV systems from recording, and causing other problems by directing sounds at the drives. This latest study goes further, seeking… [Continue Reading]

The Amazon Prime Exclusive Phone program is something I recommend highly to anyone looking for an affordable smartphone. If you have Amazon Prime (and who doesn't, nowadays?) you can score quality Android devices at rock-bottom prices. In a world where companies like Apple charge $1,000 and more for some smartphones, it is nice to know you can get a wonderful device for a fraction of that price. Today, Amazon unveils the newest Amazon Prime Exclusive Phone and I think it is my favorite one yet. The Motorola Moto G6 looks beautiful and has excellent specifications. It is a well-rounded smartphone at a very… [Continue Reading]

Imgur has long been home to a universe of GIFs but -- after many years of animated silence -- this is changing thanks to the arrival of video support. This is a major change of direction for the company; something it recognizes and refers to as "a monumental shift for our future". At the moment, the uploading of videos is only available to iOS users, but there are plans to roll it out to other platforms as well. All platforms can currently view -- and hear -- videos. While this is something of a shift in focus for Imgur, it… [Continue Reading]

Plex has come a very long way over the years, but it has lacked support -- for some inexplicable reason -- for podcasts. Today this changes with the arrival of not just a podcast feature, but also a new look, highly customizable mobile app for iOS and Android users. For the time being, podcast support is in beta, but it is a feature that is available to all users -- there's no need to be a paid-up Plex Pass subscriber. Things are a little basic for now, but they're going to improve. Let's take a look and see what this… [Continue Reading]

Using cloud apps is fast becoming standard practice for businesses and Microsoft Office 365 usage is accelerating ahead of Google's G Suite, according to a new report. The 2018 Cloud Adoption Report from cloud security company Bitglass shows global cloud adoption has topped 81 percent -- a 37 percent increase since 2016 and a 238 percent increase since 2014. Office 365 usage overtook G Suite usage in 2016 and has proceeded to stretch its lead since then. Currently, Microsoft's offering has more than twice as many deployments as Google's. While G Suite usage has remained steady at around 25 percent… [Continue Reading]

Threat actors are increasingly looking to exploit the popularity and volatility of cryptocurrency in their attacks on mobile devices according to a new report. The latest Mobile Threat Landscape report from threat management specialist RiskIQ analyzed 120 mobile app stores and more than two billion daily scanned resources. An app called Calendar 2 appeared in the Apple App Store in March which began mining Monero digital currency on user devices. Although the app disclosed this activity and offered the option for users to pay fees or use the app with all advanced features disabled, the app developers set mining as… [Continue Reading]

When it comes to PC gaming, consumers have a lot of options nowadays. Long gone are the days where you needed a massive tower for playing premium games -- you can now do so on a laptop. Younger folks may not find that so amazing, but back in the day, owning a notebook was like a death sentence for PC gamers. There are many solid gaming laptops from which to choose, but often, you will find they are limited to 32GB of memory. Why? Well, many DDR4 SoDIMMs max out at 16GB, so when you pair two together, you hit a… [Continue Reading]

When you’re on a vacation, you want to make sure you can get the best possible photos from your environment. This meant (and still does for many) dragging around a huge DSLR camera with telephoto lens all day. Problem is, apart from the weight, dragging a DSLR can attract all the wrong attention. You look like a semi-professional commercial photographer on an unauthorized shoot and, travel to places such as Miami and Los Angeles, and there are lots of locations where you can’t take your sizeable camera. Luckily the iPhone is now at a stage where most photos can be… [Continue Reading]

Bugs found in software are often a little quirky, but the latest discovery of a bug in the Google Android app is very peculiar indeed. Use the app to perform certain searches, or make a typo when entering a URL, and you may well find that you see a list of your text messages rather than the page you were expecting. At the moment it seems that the bug only affects Android users, with the iOS version of the Google app appearing to be functioning normally. If you get strange results if you try to visit the1975..com or search for… [Continue Reading]

With the launch of iOS 11.4 yesterday, Apple also unleashed AirPlay 2. Bringing support for stereo pairing and multi-room audio, this was the update HomePod users had been waiting for. But a HomePod is not the only way to take advantage of AirPlay 2; there are lots of other speakers that support the standard. Apple has now published a list of all of the AirPlay 2 speakers and receivers that are currently available, or will be very soon. See also: AirPlay 2 brings HomePod stereo pairs and multi-room audio to iOS 11.4 Apple to add details of government app takedown… [Continue Reading]

How many people backup their data? A decreasing number. The new standard is to upload our data to the cloud, storing our most important files and documents in a remote location and then synchronizing those files across our various devices. Backing up our data is old-school, right? There’s certainly an element of truth to this. These days, along with the cloud, if you have a password manager, retrieving your important data now takes minutes, not hours. Gone are the days when your system would crash and you’d have to start recovering your entire drive to get access to your system.… [Continue Reading]

While Wi-Fi security cameras are a super convenient way to monitor your home, understandably, some people might be nervous to use them. After all, a person's home is meant to be their sanctuary, so privacy is paramount. If a camera gets hacked, your private activities could be exposed. No hardware is 100 percent secure, so to mitigate your risk, you want to buy such cameras from reputable makers, such as Logitech with its excellent "Circle" cameras. You should avoid no-name manufacturers. Today, a popular and reputable company -- D-Link -- unveils a trio of new Wi-Fi security cameras. They are… [Continue Reading]

Earlier today, Sony announced the return of its "Days of Play" sales promotion. If you aren't familiar, this is where PlayStation fans can score deals on games, accessories, and PS4 systems too. If you like both console gaming and saving money, you should be excited. With all of that said, the real star of the announcement is the all-new limited edition "Days of Play" PlayStation 4 system. Both the console and controller are blue and adorned with the iconic PlayStation symbols in a beautiful gold -- stunning. If you don't already have a PS4, this is definitely one to target --… [Continue Reading]

As solid state drives become more prevalent inside computers, their popularity is also on the rise for external storage. This makes a lot of sense, as not only are SSDs dropping in price, they are very appropriate for portable storage as there are no moving parts. A traditional external drive that leverages a mechanical hard drive, for instance, could be damaged while on the go. This could lead to data loss -- a huge issue for both personal and professional users. Today, Toshiba announces its latest such portable SSD. The "XS700," as it is called, is beautifully designed and features… [Continue Reading]

Today sees the release of iOS 11.4 and with it Apple is adding AirPlay 2. This brings some important changes to HomePod, including the stereo pairing option that was missing at launch. AirPlay 2 also adds multi-room audio to HomePod, bringing Apple's smartspeaker in line with Amazon Echo and Google Home. Other new features of iOS 11.4 include the ability to access iMessages via iCloud on any Apple device. See also: Apple to add details of government app takedown requests to transparency report Download all the information Apple holds about you from its new Data and Privacy portal Apple removes… [Continue Reading]

Bluehole's PUBG -- the company behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- is taking Epic Games to court, alleging that Fortnite's Battle Royale mode violates the copyright of its own game. Both Fortnight and PUBG have proved to be incredibly popular games, and Bluehole's PUBG has made no secret of the fact that it believes Epic has drawn a little too much inspiration from its own game. SEE ALSO: Fortnite for Android is coming very soon The legal action was revealed by the Korean Times just a few days ago, although the suit was actually filed way back at the beginning of the year.… [Continue Reading]

Ghostery is a company rooted in privacy, so that the firm should accidentally reveal users' email addresses would come as something of a surprise. Over the weekend, however, this is exactly what happened. The company -- as many others have been doing recently -- emailed its users with details of its updated privacy policy that complies with GDPR. Unfortunately, the message exposed the email addresses of hundreds of customers as the company failed to make use of the BCC field. See also: Facebook to ask all users to review privacy settings Download all the information Apple holds about you from… [Continue Reading]

Over the weekend, the Bank of Montreal and Simplii Financial both issued statements indicating that they had fallen victim to hackers. In the case of Simplii Financial, around 40,000 customer accounts have been affected, but numbers have not been revealed for the Bank of Montreal. Both banks' statements indicate that they were contacted by "fraudsters" on Sunday, May 27, but it is not clear whether the two incidents relate to the same group. See also: US and UK issue joint warning about Russian hacking of routers and ISPs Banks struggle to defend against internal attacks Microsoft launches Defending Democracy Program… [Continue Reading]

There was concern recently when a couple of Alexa users found that the smart assistant built into their Amazon Echo had not only recorded a conversation they had been having, but had sent it to an acquaintance. Since this story broke, it is entirely understandable that other people who have Alexa listening in the background are worried that something similar could happen to them. If you want to check whether Alexa has been secretly/inadvertently recording you (delete according to your prejudices), we can show you how. If you find any recordings you want to ensure no one else hears, you… [Continue Reading]

An IDC survey of mid-market enterprises found that that enterprises are embracing SD-WAN-based infrastructure services. The survey identified that drivers include better automation, bandwidth optimization, consistent application security and self-provisioning. IDC Network Infrastructure vice president Rohit Mehra noted that the enterprise WAN is rapidly being "re-architected to cost-effectively deliver new, secure capabilities" and that adapting SD-WAN is a "key ingredient for success." Good advice, no doubt, but let’s dig a little deeper. Here are the reasons why SD-WAN is the right way to meet your digital business needs today -- and tomorrow. Better Connectivity Needed in the Cloud Age Digital… [Continue Reading]

With so much choice in the field of streaming music, any package on the market has to offer something special to stand out from the competition. Looking to better compete with the likes of Apple Music and Spotify, Pandora has launched a new Premium Family package. The new package offers unlimited access to all of Pandora's premium features for up to six people. The price is just $15 per month, but there's a 60-day free trial available so you can try it out for size first. Pandora explains that the new package offers "all of the features of Pandora Premium… [Continue Reading]

The possibilities born out of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) may seem endless as the scale of what it can accomplish continues to rise. By adding edge computing into the equation, the benefits for enterprises increase even further due to the real-time capabilities it enables. With this shift comes an increased focus on data, which is at the heart of all IIoT and edge deployments. However, some enterprises are in different stages than others when it comes to utilizing that data and getting the most actionable results out of it for valuable business decision making. We spoke with Jason… [Continue Reading]

While Dell is mostly known as a Windows PC manufacturer, the company is also a big proponent of Linux. Its "Developer Edition" models can be configured with Ubuntu, for instance. Of course, despite this branding, non-developers can buy them too. The XPS 13 "Developer Edition" in particular is a svelte machine that should make many home Linux users very happy. In addition to home users, Dell manufactures solid business-class mobile workstations, and the company recently announced four such Linux-powered models. These Precision "Developer Edition" laptops run Ubuntu and are RHEL certified. One of these notebooks, the Precision 3530, is available today,… [Continue Reading]

Having slapped Chinese company ZTE with a denial order which significantly hampered its US operations, President Trump has said that the firm will pay a $1.3 billion fine and change its board and management in order to continue to operate within North America. ZTE had complained that the denial order was unacceptable, and Trump has more recently indicated a desire to get the company "back into business". Now it seems that the president has come up with a deal that involves the Chinese telecoms firm not only making security guarantees, but also buying components from US companies. See also: Trump… [Continue Reading]

Apple has announced that it is to expand the scope of its twice-yearly transparency report. Starting with one of its next report -- the one which will cover the period July 1 to December 31, 2018 -- the company will share details of government app takedown requests. The announcement was tucked away in the latest transparency report, in which Apple shares details of "Government and Private Party Requests for Customer Information". The company says that it takes the protection of user data very seriously, and this addition to the report sees Apple demonstrating this by providing even more information. See… [Continue Reading]

It's just a couple of days since Microsoft temporarily disabled Windows 10 April 2018 Update on PCs running Avast antivirus. Just as with certain SSDs, a compatibility issue was making the update problematic. But now Avast says it has identified the issue and is working to push out an update to people that will avoid the problem. The company also has instructions for people whose computers have been left sitting in a blue screen state. See also: New Windows 10 update addresses problems with SSDs Microsoft blocks the rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update to computers with problematic Intel… [Continue Reading]

Despite being the default desktop environment for the two most important Linux distributions in the world -- Fedora and Ubuntu -- GNOME is not a money-making project. Actually, it is run by a non-profit called The GNOME Foundation that relies heavily on donations from both organizations and individuals. That's what makes GNOME so extraordinary -- the high quality desktop environment and apps are largely a labor of love. Today, The GNOME Foundation makes a shocking revelation -- a mystery donor has pledged $1 million dollars! We don't know who is promising the money -- it could be a rich man… [Continue Reading]

Kaspersky has released major new versions of its security suites with the launch of Kaspersky Internet Security 2019 and Kaspersky Total Security 2019 for Windows PCs. The suite -- which is also available (but not yet updated) on the Mac -- concentrates on improving and refining existing components, with highlights including support for removing troublesome applications and browser extensions. Kaspersky, which relocated its data processing centres to Switzerland after concerns about its ties to Russia, has focused on improving existing application components with this new release. This is immediately apparent when opening the Tools window, which now categorizes application features… [Continue Reading]

There have long been accusations that digital assistants such as Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri are constantly listening in on and recording conversations, and recent events in Portland, Oregon are simply going to serve as extra fuel for conspiracy theorists. A couple were disturbed to find that Alexa not only recorded a private conversation they had in their house, but then sent it on to a colleague as a message. Danielle says she and her husband felt it was "a total privacy invasion", and it is unlikely that Amazon's explanation will do anything to encourage her to use her Echo… [Continue Reading]

Two-hundred-and-eighty-four in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft released a patch for Windows 10 version 1803 that addresses issues with certain SSDs and upgrades. The company recommends that users wait until the June Patch Tuesday to upgrade to Windows 10 version 1803 on affected devices, though. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via… [Continue Reading]

PayPal has extended its partnership with Google so it now offers more payment options to its customers. By integrating more deeply with Google, PayPal now allow you to seamlessly make payments in the likes of Gmail, YouTube, Google Pay and Google Store. As there is support for any service that makes use of Google Pay, users will also be able to make peer-to-peer payments. SEE ALSO: PayPal buys Swedish fintech company iZettle PayPal is ready to get into traditional banking with debit cards, loans and more Google quietly relegates 'Don't be evil' from its Code of Conduct PayPal has been… [Continue Reading]

You can never have too much storage capacity. For instance, when it comes to microSD or SD cards, nothing is worse than running out of room when on vacation -- you shouldn't have to decide which memories to delete from your camera. Not to mention, when shooting 4K video, you can run out of storage even quicker these days. Today, PNY releases a new Class 10, U1 micro SD card to address this dilemma. With a monstrous 512GB capacity, you can be sure that your camera, drone, tablet, or other device that leverages the micro-sized card will have plenty of… [Continue Reading]

It has been impossible to avoid stories about GDPR over the last few weeks and months, and today the new rules regarding privacy and personal data come into force across the EU. Inboxes across Europe have been flooded with GDPR-related emails as companies have rushed to comply with the new regulations that require them to seek consent from users to collect data about them. But now GDPR day has arrived, dozens of US websites are blocked in the EU. See also: Microsoft will roll out 'key' GDPR rights globally... not just in Europe Google explains its handling of user data… [Continue Reading]

The Android market is incredibly crowded, making it very hard to turn a profit. Unless your name is Samsung, you are going to have a tough time at it. Well-known companies like LG and HTC are struggling as no-name Chinese manufacturers flood the market with low-cost devices that surprisingly don't suck. Quite frankly, you'd have to be insane to even attempt to enter the Android market. And yet, Andy Rubin did. If you aren't familiar, Rubin was a co-founder of Android, so when he announced he was entering the smartphone market with a company called "Essential Products Inc," it made… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has been rolling out new Windows 10 RS5 builds on a weekly basis, but it looked as if we weren’t going to get one this week due to what appeared to be a roll-back bug. However, it turns out the problem was actually a deployment issue which Microsoft was able to fix server side. The just-released Build 17677, for Fast ring and Skip Ahead Insiders, has a number of additions. SEE ALSO: Microsoft temporarily disables the Windows 10 April 2018 Update on PCs running Avast antivirus How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Windows XP… [Continue Reading]

While there are times when the comments section of a website offers interesting statements from readers, quite often, it is full of vile and vulgar speech instead. We here at BetaNews are lucky -- you guys are rather tame... for the most part. On other websites, such as YouTube, a hardened United States Marine could be made to blush by the horrific comments. Today, Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) Director of Programming for Xbox Live announces he is turning off the ability to comment on his wildly popular blog. While he doesn't cite cancerous language from readers as being a reason,… [Continue Reading]

Employee experience platform Sapho is announcing a new identity solution to simplify how employees authenticate into systems and access their data and daily workflows. Sapho's patent-pending Consolidated Identity system means employees can access what they need from a variety of applications without having to go into each application separately. This technology, created by Sapho co-founder and CTO Peter Yared, represents the next generation of Yared's federated identity system which has been in use since the early 2000s. But where federated identity is based on a loose trust model between an individual's identity provider account and the service provider, consolidated identity… [Continue Reading]

The rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update was recently blocked to some computers because of problems with certain SSDs. Now Microsoft has issued an update that addresses the issues. Releasing the KB4100403 patch, Microsoft says that problems with Intel SSD 600p Series or Intel SSD Pro 6000p Series, and Toshiba XG4 Series, Toshiba XG5 Series, or Toshiba BG3 Series drives, are fixed. After installing it, users should be able to upgrade to Windows 10 April 2018 Update. See also: Microsoft blocks the rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update to computers with problematic Intel SSDs Many people with Intel… [Continue Reading]

While 84 percent of security professionals believe cryptocurrencies are here to stay, most don't see them as a major threat to the enterprise, despite the rise in cryptomining attacks. A study from network protection specialist Lastline shows 45.2 percent think cryptocurrency is a mainstream alternative to conventional currencies, while 38.9 percent think it's a fringe option. 14.5 percent say they would rather collect their salary in cryptocurrency than in a traditional currency. However, the survey also finds that that seven out of 10 professionals don’t see a threat to their organizations resulting from crypto currency, even though it's well documented… [Continue Reading]

With the recent scandals involving Facebook coupled with the impending arrival of GDPR in Europe, there has been a lot of talk about privacy recently. Now the social networking giant is to start asking all of its users to review information about privacy and "how to control their experience". The company says that it introduced updated data policies and made privacy settings easier to find, as well as making other changes, in Europe, and now is rolling out the same things to the rest of the world. See also: Facebook asks British users to submit their nudes as protection against… [Continue Reading]

After 16 years, StumbleUpon is closing down. One of the first high-profile services that gave people a way to discover new websites and online content, it was enjoyed by over 40 million users. The closure came out of the blue, and was announced by co-founder Garrett Camp in a blog post. He suggests that users might like to migrate to another one of his creations, Mix.com, and says that switching to the newer service has been made "as smooth as possible". Camp says that times have changed dramatically since the inception of StumbleUpon. "Since starting SU the number of people… [Continue Reading]

New Windows 10 feature updates get tested thoroughly both internally at Microsoft and by Windows Insiders. However, with so many PC variations and third-party programs, it's all but impossible to identify and eradicate every potential issue. That's why as soon as a new big Windows update gets released we suddenly hear of previously undetected problems arising. In the case of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, or Windows 10 1803 as it’s also known, we’ve seen users reporting issues with Intel and Toshiba SSDs, and some upgraders have experienced a black screen with no icons -- something I initially encountered… [Continue Reading]

A bug has been discovered in popular chat tool WhatsApp that completely undermines the blocking feature. The idea behind blocking people on WhatsApp -- just like any other app or service -- is to prevent them from contacting you, and to stop them from viewing your activity. But the bug means that blocked users are still able to send messages to people who have blocked them, as well as viewing statuses and profile details. The problem appears to be affecting the iOS, Android and desktop versions of WhatsApp, and the company has remained tight-lipped about what is going on. It… [Continue Reading]

Enterprise computing has often been reliant on proprietary database architecture, but this can be both complex and costly, putting up a barrier to innovation. Now open source database specialist MariaDB is launching its latest enterprise offering with Oracle compatibility. This allows existing Oracle Database users to reuse existing code and established skill sets when migrating applications or deploying new ones. MariaDB TX 3.0 introduces built-in, system-versioned tables, enabling developers to easily build temporal features into applications. This eliminates the need to manually create columns, tables and triggers in order to maintain row history, freeing DBAs to simply create new tables… [Continue Reading]

Donald Trump's use of Twitter has long been controversial, and he has developed something of a penchant for blocking people who dare to question or criticize him. Earlier this year a judge suggested that he should make use of the mute option instead of blocking Twitter users, and now another judge has ruled that blocking critics is unconstitutional. Judge Naomi Buchwald said that Trump's use of the block feature is a violation of people's right to free speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The Department of Justice has indicated that it disagrees and is considering what to… [Continue Reading]

If you are planning to do professional presentations, you must have a remote. I can't stress enough just how important it is to have the right tools for a job. The success of a PowerPoint, for instance, has less to do with the slides and more to do with the energy and personality of the presenter. If you sit in one place tapping on a mouse to move slides along, people are going to get bored. Instead, you should walk around the room while using a remote to change slides. You'll be amazed at how much more attentive your audience… [Continue Reading]

Enterprise identity provider Okta is launching a new set of contextual access management capabilities that will allow businesses to eliminate passwords. New Adaptive Single Sign-On (SSO) and enhanced Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) products allow decisions based on signals such as device, IP and geolocation context for smarter, more secure identity and access management. "The best password is no password at all. Today's threat actors are targeting the weakest point of your company’s security -- your people -- and too many are successfully compromising their accounts due to poor or stolen passwords," says Todd McKinnon, CEO and co-founder of Okta. "Over… [Continue Reading]

Following on from a trial in Australia, Facebook is rolling out anti-revenge porn measures to the UK. In order that it can protect British users from failing victim to revenge porn, the social network is asking them to send in naked photos of themselves. The basic premise of the idea is: send us nudes, and we'll stop others from seeing them. See also: Zuckerberg's appearance in front of the EU was an utter joke Mark Zuckerberg agrees to appear in front of EU parliament to answer questions about Facebook's use of data Facebook's new Clear History privacy tool will let… [Continue Reading]

While businesses often cite cost cutting as a motive for moving to the cloud, a new report reveals that 37 percent of organizations surveyed listed unpredictable costs as a top cloud pain point. The study by cloud management company SoftwareONE also uncovers a lack of transparency into cloud resource usage -- something nearly one third of companies find to be a challenge. These roadblocks put cloud costs in the top two concerns -- only behind security -- for organizations when using the cloud. In fact, 90 percent of all organizations surveyed identified concerns about using the cloud. It's no surprise… [Continue Reading]

If you've ever been curious about just what data Apple has gathered and stored about you over the years, now you can find out -- if you're in Europe, at least. The iPhone-maker has just launched a new Data and Privacy portal in order to comply with GDPR which comes into force across the EU from Friday. The website lets you download pretty much every piece of data that Apple has collected about you. See also: Apple removes apps using the CallKit framework because of Chinese regulations Apple clamps down on apps that share location data with third parties Apple… [Continue Reading]

Enterprise users are increasingly authenticating into applications from non-office networks, with a 10 percent increase in the average number of unique networks according to the latest Trusted Access Report from Duo Security. Duo also found that 43 percent of requests to access protected applications and data came from outside of the corporate office and network. People are logging into applications, networks and systems wherever, and whenever as work hours start to flex to fit different lifestyles, time zones and travel. Steve Manzuik, director of security research at Duo says, "Enterprises had the biggest increase in terms of authenticating from more… [Continue Reading]

The smartphone market is very mature these days, making it damn near impossible for a device to stand out. Even Apple’s polarizing notch is being adopted by countless Android smartphone manufacturers, making that unique thing very common. Hell, we are approaching the point where not having a notch will be odd! Today, HTC announces its newest smartphone, and believe it or not, it doesn’t have a notch. Called the "U12+," it has all the fantastic specs you'd expect from a flagship, but unfortunately, its overall design is a little bland. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't look bad, but it… [Continue Reading]

Despite a range of alternative authentication technologies, many systems still rely on passwords for their security. But a new study from Dashlane shows we’re still pretty bad at password selection. The analysts used research from Dr Gang Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, which analyzed over 61 million passwords. Dashlane researchers examined the data for patterns, highlighting simple mistakes that continue to be made by people who use passwords in daily life. Researchers found patterns across the keyboard, from not-so-randomly chosen letters and numbers to popular brands and bands, and even passwords created… [Continue Reading]

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) shows that Amazon has started selling facial recognition software to at least two US law enforcement agencies. A report published by the ACLU shows that the online retailer has been advertising its facial recognition system -- known as Amazon Rekognition, and described as "deep learning-based image and video analysis" -- to numerous states. Testimonials from the Orlando, Florida Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon suggest that the system is already in use. See also: com now redirects to Amazon and the company's… [Continue Reading]

How do you store your passwords? You’ll be surprised. Some people use the same memorable pass for most websites, but if this is compromised it offers the fraudster access to every site where you used the single login. Other people simply write down their passwords. To be fair, if you can trust the people in your household, there’s no problem with this, but how do you access your website logins on the road? Do you take your notepad with you, containing every single login and, no doubt, your bank password? The wisest solution is to put your trust into a password manager and… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in front of members of the European Parliament to answer questions and to address concerns that the EU has about the social network in general, and its use of private data in particular -- thanks largely to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. At least that was the idea. What actually happened was nothing short of a farce, with Zuckerberg smugly sitting back and choosing which questions to answer, neatly avoiding any he was uncomfortable with. It was little more than a PR-cum-damage-limitation exercise for the Facebook founder... and it didn't really go very well.… [Continue Reading]

In 2016, American businesses suffered half a billion dollars a year in losses from phishing attacks with the average cost at $1.6 million each. These numbers are alarming evidence that just one click can cause significant financial and reputational damage to your brand. And since studies show that a staggering 30 percent of phishing emails get opened, it’s no wonder that they consistently rank as the top cyberattack vector. Despite being one of the oldest cyberattacks in the book, phishing remains so popular because it’s a highly effective means of exploiting the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain: humans. To… [Continue Reading]

PHP powers the vast majority of the web today. It is by far the most ubiquitous and accessible mature web language, and welcomes thousands of new developers every day. Better PHP Development offers the tools and techniques you need to become a better developer. This collection comprises: How PHP Executes -- from Source Code to Render by Thomas Punt Getting to Know and Love Xdebug by Bruno Škvorc Localization Demystified: Php-Intl for Everyone by Younes Rafie Event Sourcing in a Pinch by Christopher Pitt Disco with Design Patterns: A Fresh Look at Dependency Injection by Reza Lavaryan A Comprehensive Guide to Using Cronjobs by Reza Lavaryan… [Continue Reading]

The Special Olympics is a wonderful organization that enables people with intellectual disabilities to compete against each other and win medals. While it promotes health, fitness, and camaraderie, it also highlights that all people deserve the right to compete. It is very inspiring stuff, folks. Today, Microsoft announces that it has partnered with the Special Olympics for an all-new Xbox gaming tournament. This is not the first time that the Windows-maker has worked with the organization. For this tourney, Microsoft is pairing two players to a team -- one with an intellectual disability and one without. Teams will then face-off… [Continue Reading]

Technology progresses quickly. In large part, that’s due to semiconductors, which power everything from computers to toasters. As semiconducting components become more advanced, they get smaller and more powerful. This, in turn, enables electronic products to become smaller, more powerful and more cost-effective. One company, which has long been a leader in the semiconductor business, recently introduced a unique machine that takes microprocessor production to the next level. New method Dutch firm ASML recently introduced a new machine for manufacturing microprocessors that helps make them even smaller and more powerful. The machine uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light to essentially print… [Continue Reading]

Trend Micro has a new privacy-focused mobile browser for iOS users called Zero Browser. It has been designed specifically to block a range of tracking techniques, including the invasive activity-recording "session replay" method. The company says that the browser was created to overcome the shortcomings of existing "incognito" browsing modes and brings an extra level of privacy to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. See also: Apple removes apps using the CallKit framework because of Chinese regulations Apple clamps down on apps that share location data with third parties Microsoft will roll out 'key' GDPR rights globally... not just in… [Continue Reading]

The clock is ticking for the arrival of GDPR (or General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe. As of May 25 -- this Friday -- new regulations will give people greater access to the data companies store about them and the right to have it deleted. Microsoft is among the global technology firms that will have to comply with the laws in Europe and -- pointing out how it appreciates "the strong leadership by the European Union on these important issues" -- the company says that it will also roll out some of the benefits of the privacy legislation on a… [Continue Reading]

Robbing a bank used to involve a mask, a gun and a fast car, but these days it's more likely to be done via the safer and no less lucrative means of a cyberattack. A new report from cloud security specialist Carbon Black, based on responses from CISOs at 40 major financial institutions -- including six of the top 10 global banks -- seeks to better understand the attack landscape. Among the findings are that 90 percent of financial institutions report being the subject of a ransomware attack in 2017. In addition one in 10 respondents report encountering destructive attacks… [Continue Reading]

With GDPR coming into force at the end of this week, new research from Egress Software Technologies found over half of respondents were in the dark about what their company was doing to prepare for the legislation. Only 43 percent of the 1,000 respondents were aware of preparations, there is also a lack of awareness surrounding personal data in general. One in 10 are unaware they are handling personal data in their day-to-day jobs and 57 percent are unable to correctly identify when it would need to be protected. When presented with categories of personal data -- such as addresses,… [Continue Reading]

Not so long ago the idea of email fraud mainly involved Nigerian princes asking for your help to liberate a few million dollars. Things have moved on and the scammers have become more sophisticated, but email fraud is no less of a threat according to a new study by email security specialist Agari, which studied activity on 78 criminal email accounts over a period of 10 months. Interestingly Nigeria is still at the heart of email scams, with nine out of 10 of the accounts studied based there. Most focus on business email compromise (BEC) attacks, but romance scams --… [Continue Reading]

Security researchers have discovered a bug in the Comcast website that makes it possible to gather information about Xfinity users. As well as customer data such as home addresses, it is also possible to access wireless network details including passwords. The bug was reported by Karan Saini and Ryan Stevenson after they found it was possible to use the Xfinity activation website to access customer data using nothing more than a customer account ID and that customer's house or apartment number. Although the online form for activation asks for a full address, it is only necessary to supply the number… [Continue Reading]

It's only a couple of week until Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, and it's looking as though we could be getting a new voice for Siri -- and possibly a new HomePod. This is not just idle speculation or the usual industry rumor mill working overtime -- this time around it is Siri itself providing the clues. Ask Siri what to expect from WWDC next month, and the digital assistant starts to drop hints. See also: Apple removes apps using the CallKit framework because of Chinese regulations Apple clamps down on apps that share location data with third parties Apple tells… [Continue Reading]

As news of yet another chip vulnerability creeps out, computer users, businesses and organizations around the world are trying to assess how the latest bug affects them. To help its users and others to understand what the Speculative Store Bypass/Variant 4 vulnerability means, Red Hat has issued advisories and an explanatory video. The company also reveals exactly which of its Linux builds are affected by the security flaw and what steps can be taken as mitigation. In addition to this, Red Hat has put together a number of resources that help to "provide more context around this vulnerability from an… [Continue Reading]

Just when you thought you could forget about the Spectre and Meltdown chip vulnerabilities, yet another variant has been discovered. Known as Speculative Store Bypass, the vulnerability affects chips from AMD and Intel, as well as Power 8, Power 9 and System z processors. The vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2018-3639, and successful exploitation would mean that an attacker could gain access to data. The attack can be carried out through a "language-based runtime environment" such as JavaScript. Some patches exist while others are in development, and they include the same performance hit associated with patches for the previous vulnerabilities. See… [Continue Reading]

Amazon's Prime Exclusive Phone program is one of the best deals going. If you aren't familiar, this is where quality Android devices are sold at discounted prices to Amazon Prime members. The company used to subsidize the price by showing advertisements on the phone's lock screen, but it has since abandoned that. Instead, the phone is ad-free, but does come with some Amazon apps preinstalled. Today, Amazon launches the latest Prime Exclusive Phone. The LG K30, as it is called, is your run-of-the-mill Android device, with ho-hum specifications and a generic design. What makes it truly enticing, however, is the… [Continue Reading]

Want to know a secret? Google apps on iOS are often much better than the Android versions. Don't ask me why -- you'd think the search giant would show more love to its own platform instead of Apple's, but oh well. Ultimately, iPhone owners get the best of both worlds. Today, Google announces a new Maps feature that is apparently exclusive to iOS. Before Android users get too upset, they should know it really isn't a big deal. In fact, it is kind of odd that the search giant is even hyping the seemingly useless feature. What is it, you… [Continue Reading]

While the success of Apple Watch has attracted the most attention when it comes to enterprise wearables in the workplace, the market is beginning to split into battles for the wrist (and borrowing from Neil Cybart), the eyes (e.g. Google Glass) and the ears (e.g. AirPods). Not to mention wearables for the body -- smart garments and (God forbid) implantables (Now, apparently, a word. Though if someone in my company tells me I need to implant something for my job, they will have my resignation before they finish the request). But the adoption of such technology comes with a practical limitation -- we each… [Continue Reading]

For Apple fans, buying an elegant laptop is a very simple affair. After all, the company's entire line of MacBooks are well-designed and gorgeous. For Windows users, unfortunately, this is a much more difficult task. Many notebooks running Microsoft's operating system are low quality in more ways than one -- deficient display, plastic chassis, and horrific trackpad to name a few. That's not to say all Windows laptops are bad -- the great ones are just fairly rare. Today, one of the most exciting Windows 10 laptops finally makes its way to the USA. The ultra-premium Huawei MateBook X Pro… [Continue Reading]

One of the darkest secrets of Information Technology (IT) is called the Productivity Paradox. Google it and you’ll learn that for at least 40 years and study after study it has been the case that spending money on IT -- any money -- doesn’t increase organizational productivity. We don’t talk about this much as an industry because it’s the negative side of IT. Instead we speak in terms of Return on Investment (ROI), or Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). But there is finally some good news: Cloud computing actually increases productivity and we can prove it. The Productivity Paradox doesn’t claim that IT is useless, by the way,… [Continue Reading]

At its SharePoint Virtual Summit, Microsoft today unveiled SharePoint spaces, a way to bring SharePoint into virtual reality and mixed reality environments. Microsoft says that SharePoint spaces adds a third dimension to company intranets, and allows people to engage and interact with documents, data, and video in new and more immersive ways. The company envisions the technology being used by businesses to create interactive welcome environments for new employees, interactive product databases, training experiences, and much more. See also: Microsoft acquires AI startup Semantic Machines to help boost Cortana Microsoft is said to be working on a cheap Surface tablet… [Continue Reading]

Having previously refused to answer questions in the UK, last week Mark Zuckerberg agreed to appear in front of the EU parliament to speak about Facebook's use of data. The Facebook chief is due to appear in front of MEPs tomorrow, Tuesday, and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has announced that the appearance will be livestreamed. So, if you fancy tuning in to see what Zuckerberg has to say and how he is able to "clarify issues related to the use of personal data", you will be able to do just that. See also: Mark Zuckerberg agrees to appear in… [Continue Reading]

A new study from vulnerability assessment specialist Positive Technologies shows that banks have built up strong defenses against external attacks but still struggle with internal threats. Whether they use social engineering, vulnerabilities in web applications, or the help of insiders, as soon as attackers access the internal network of a bank, they often find that it's secured no better than companies in other industries. With access to the internal network of client banks, Positive Technologies testers succeeded in obtaining access to financial applications in 58 percent of cases. At 25 percent of banks, they were able to compromise the workstations… [Continue Reading]

Apache Kafka has has become increasingly popular as a data streaming platform but it can be hard for businesses to take full advantage of it without the right skills. Now though Open Source-as-a-Service company Instaclustr is launching a new Kafka-as-a-Service solution to allow enterprises to manage high volume data streams in real-time. Adding Kafka to Instaclustr's existing platform allows users to benefit from the robust provisioning and management patterns used to deliver other leading open source technologies like Apache Cassandra and Apache Spark. Kafka can be run as a standalone managed service or integrated with the other open source data… [Continue Reading]

Apple has bowed to pressure from China and started to remove apps from the App Store that use the CallKit framework. There are strict cybersecurity laws in place in China which has already see VPN tools banned and led to a brief suspension of the popular WeChat app. While no specific reason has been given for the crackdown on the CallKit framework, it is suspected to be related to VoIP functionality. See also: Apple clamps down on apps that share location data with third parties Apple tells developers that apps must support iPhone X notch from July Apple's purchase of… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has announced plans to acquire Semantic Machines, a startup based in Berkley, California, that specializes in conversational artificial intelligence. The acquisition makes a great deal of sense because of Microsoft's desire to push Cortana forward, and the general increased interest in voice-powered digital assistants and chatbots -- and products such as Google Duplex. The Semantic Machines team includes members who have worked on Siri and with speech-recognition firm Nuance. See also: Microsoft is said to be working on a cheap Surface tablet to compete with the iPad Microsoft blocks the rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update to computers… [Continue Reading]

Linux isn't just a hobby -- the kernel largely powers the web, for instance. Not only is Linux on many web servers, but it is also found on the most popular consumer operating system in the world -- Android. Why is this? Well, the open source kernel scales very well, making it ideal for many projects. True, Linux's share of the desktop is still minuscule, but sometimes slow and steady wins the race -- watch out, Windows! A good example of Linux's scalability is a new robot powered by Linux which was recently featured on the official Ubuntu Blog. Called… [Continue Reading]

For a long time, the words "don't be evil" were associated with Google. While not an official motto as such, the words were heavily ingrained in the company. Google's method of operating has caused many people over the years to question the phrase, and when the company was re-organized under Alphabet the motto became "do the right thing". Nonetheless, in the Google Code of Conduct which is given to employees, "don't be evil" remained -- until just a few weeks ago when it was quietly relegated. See also: Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates Google explains… [Continue Reading]

LocationSmart, a company based in Southern California, is under investigation by the FCC after it was discovered that its website made it possible for just about anyone to access location data for the majority of US cell phones. Security expert Brian Krebs reported that a bug on the LocationSmart website made it possible for anyone to check on the location of any AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon phone in the US. Even more worryingly, the data is said to be accurate to a few hundred yards. See also: Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates Chrome will… [Continue Reading]

The phenomenon that is Fortnite will be making its way to Android, Epic Games has revealed. An Android version of the game is something that mobile gamers have been begging for for some time now, and it seems it will not be long until these pleas are answered. While an exact release date has not been revealed, Fortnite for Android will be happening in the next few months. See also: Meltdown patches are slowing down games such as Fortnite Fortnite has proved massively popular over the last year on Mac, PC and game consoles. There's an iOS version that has… [Continue Reading]

First, let’s clarify the difference between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Virtual Reality (VR) blocks out the real world and immerses the user in a digital experience. Augmented Reality (AR) adds a layer of interactive digital elements on top of the real world. Or in simpler terms, AR can be defined as a technology which overlays a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. The question is: when will we begin to see more Enterprise adoption of AR? Companies are eager to jump on the AR bandwagon but are still unclear how to best use… [Continue Reading]

PayPal has announced that it is to buy the mobile payment company iZettle. The announcement came as something of a surprise, as less than two weeks ago iZettle had said that it planned to go public. iZettle is a Swedish fintech company whose mobile card readers have proved popular with small businesses, as has its ecommerce platform. The $2.2 billion purchase is PayPal's biggest acquisition to date. The purchase will give PayPal the opportunity to expand into the retail payment terminals business in international markets, thanks to iZettle's card readers. The company currently operates in 11 countries in Europe and… [Continue Reading]

Later this year, Chrome will adopt a new approach to indicating site security. Starting in September, the browser will no longer use a security indicator to highlight the fact that you're visiting an HTTPS page. Instead, Google will simply issue a warning when a website is not secure. As the company puts it, "users should expect that the web is safe by default, and they’ll be warned when there’s an issue". The change is coming in Chrome 69. See also: Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates Google explains its handling of user data ahead of GDPR… [Continue Reading]

As an American man that thinks monarchies are silly, I shouldn't be interested in the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding. With that said, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about it. I don't know why, but I find myself intrigued by the Royal Wedding. I make no apologies about it! Unfortunately, the wedding is on a Saturday -- a day when many people are out of their homes running errands and having fun. Thankfully, you can watch the wedding online for free using your web browser or mobile device. In other words, even if you aren't in… [Continue Reading]

Two-hundred-and-eighty-three in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. The new Windows 10 update that Microsoft released on April 30, 2018 does not play well with some Intel and Toshiba Solid State Drives. Microsoft blocked the update as a consequence and started an investigation. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week… [Continue Reading]

YouTube TV is a really great streaming TV service that I recommend very highly. Google's offering works so well, that I was able to cancel my cable TV without any regrets. For $40 a month you get tons of channels, local sports, an unlimited cloud DVR, and multi-platform support. Never did I think I would be passionate about a television provider, but here I am. I follow @YouTubeTV on Twitter so I can learn about suggested programming, but also, that is where the service announces channel additions. That's probably my favorite aspect of YouTube TV -- it is often gaining… [Continue Reading]

Enforcement of the GDPR Regulation will begin this May 25. Are you ready? If not, Microsoft offers some information-protection solutions to help your organization identify, classify, and protect your data. The tools track your adherence to the regulations, ensure you’re able to identify sensitive data, and can prevent that data from escaping your organization via email, etc. While this article focuses on GDPR policy management, the info also applies to other regulations (e.g. HIPAA). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) regulation designed to protect the personally identifiable information of a citizen of the EU. This… [Continue Reading]

The Internet of Things has taken the global tech industry by storm in recent years. The idea, in its simplest form, is the mass interconnectivity of billions of devices. All of this is in the hope that it creates a massive network of devices in constant communication with each other. Why would this network be important? Because it has the potential to completely revolutionize how we interact with tech and with the world around us. When all of the devices in the world are interlinked then we have the possibility of extracting mountains of data and synthesizing it so that… [Continue Reading]

Making an app is hard, but getting it noticed on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store can be an even more difficult task. Optimizing your metadata is the biggest hurdle to getting noticed and finding users. There are many "tips and tricks" articles out there that promise to help, but very few talk about what to avoid. Fortunately, with a strong App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy, you can stand out from the crowd while keeping an eye out for ASO pitfalls. By maneuvering around these pitfalls, you’ll be one step closer to improving your app’s visibility. Keyword Fumbles… [Continue Reading]

No matter the industry, ensuring the security of all our digital transactions is everyone’s biggest concern. Aside from bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, enterprise blockchain technology has the potential to overcome many current (and potentially future) hurdles digital transactions must face. So how do organizations determine if blockchain is right for their business? How do companies know when is the best time to implement and start using blockchain? Before we answer these questions, let’s first provide some background on what blockchain is and how it works. Blockchain is an ever-expanding list of ordered "blocks" that are logged publicly and in chronological… [Continue Reading]

Clean data is vital if analytics are to deliver useful results, but a new survey reveals that many organizations are still relying on manual and inefficient processes to clean and prepare information. The study by data preparation company Trifacta shows these inefficiencies are draining resources and inhibiting organizations' ability to glean insights that could be crucial to their business decisions. Among the findings are that 65 percent of IT professionals spend half or more of their time at work on data quality assurance, cleanup or preparation. Based on average IT salaries this means organizations worldwide could be spending almost $500… [Continue Reading]

It's no longer enough to just protect the perimeter in order to keep systems secure. It's now necessary to catch file-less attacks, privilege escalation and a whole range of other tactics. The problem for smaller businesses is they often don't have the expertise in house to handle the range of threats. Finnish security company F-Secure is launching a new endpoint detection and response solution that solves this problem by combining industry-leading security expertise with the latest technologies to help organizations catch advanced tactics used by attackers. "Well-maintained security perimeters are great for commodity threats, but targeted attackers are usually prepared… [Continue Reading]

I absolutely love big powerful desktop PCs. My Windows machine, for instance, is powered by a slightly overclocked Ryzen 7 1700, and it has an RX 580 GPU. To keep it cool, I have several fans in my tower, which causes a big issue -- noise. This doesn't bother me when gaming or listening to loud music, but when working quietly, it can be a bit of an annoyance. Not to mention, it can put out a lot of heat, so in the summertime, I find myself sweating more than I should be. If you have a need for a… [Continue Reading]

Ken Seddon is the CEO of the non-profit patent protection network LOT. The organization’s members include Google, Red Hat, Lenovo, Pega and other big players, as well as dozens of startups in areas such as transportation, blockchain, and software. Startups are disproportionately impacted by patent trolls and we chatted with Ken about how a smart, assertive IP strategy can help protect their businesses. BN: Aren’t patent protection strategies really for big companies with big patent portfolios? KS: Not at all. In fact the exact opposite is true. Large companies already have an established product, successes in a market, and a… [Continue Reading]

Google has announced a new music streaming service, YouTube Music, as well as YouTube Premium, both of which launch next week. The two services come as a result of Google splitting up YouTube Red. YouTube Premium will be available for $11.99 per month, while YouTube Music will have free and paid-for versions. The free edition will be ad-supported, but these can be banished for $9.99 per month. See also: YouTube hackers take down and deface videos from the likes of Taylor Swift and Drake Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates Google explains its handling of user… [Continue Reading]

The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, has announced the formation of a new task force to examine the fairness of the algorithms used in the city's automated systems. The Automated Decision Systems Task Force will review algorithms that are in use to determine that they are free from bias. Representatives from the Department of Social Services, the NYC Police Department, the Department of Transportation, the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, the Administration for Children's Services, and the Department of Education will be involved, and the aim is to produce a report by December 2019. See also: Twitter… [Continue Reading]

Last week saw the release of Windows 10 RS5 Build 17666 to Insiders on the Fast and Skip Ahead rings. It was a very impressive build, with a number of big new features, including a dark theme for File Explorer, acrylic in Sets, Cloud Clipboard, and more. Today Microsoft rolls out Build 17672, with a big new change to security. In this new release, the Windows Security Center (WSC) service now requires antivirus products to run as a protected process to register. Ones which don’t will not appear in the Windows Security UI, and Windows Defender Antivirus will run alongside… [Continue Reading]

Wi-Fi cameras are a great way to monitor your home. They aren't just a plus for security; these devices can also help you to watch your children and pets when on the go. Logitech’s Circle offerings are some of the best, as they are quite easy to set up and use. The company's second-generation model -- the Circle 2 -- is very versatile too. There are many ways to position it -- both inside and outside -- thanks to a good selection of accessories. Today, Logitech adds yet another option with the Circle 2 Magnetic Mount. As you can probably guess,… [Continue Reading]

Today at a launch event in London, OnePlus unveiled its latest "flagship killer", the OnePlus 6, taking solid aim at high-end smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung. The OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch screen with a 2,280 x 1,080 resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio, (up to) 256GB of storage, and dual 20 megapixel rear camera (sensibly centered now) and a 16 megapixel front-facing shooter. It also includes the top notch found on an increasing number of smartphones these days. OnePlus’s devices have always managed to offer quality at an affordable price, while not quite matching or besting phones… [Continue Reading]

Why pay a monthly subscription for Office software? SoftMaker FreeOffice 2018 has just been released, promising full compatibility with the latest Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats and debuting a new optional ribbon interface for those switching from Office 2007 or later. FreeOffice comprises word processor TextMaker 2018, spreadsheets package PlanMaker 2018 and presentation tool Presentations 2018. There are two headline features with this latest release, both of which will appeal to those tired of paying out for Office 365 or looking to move on from an older, non-subscription version of Office. The first is the promise of seamless compatibility with… [Continue Reading]

After refusing to answer questions in the UK, Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to face questions in front of the EU Parliament. The grilling comes in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. The Facebook CEO could answer questions about the social network's use of data very soon, with the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, saying that "hopefully" it could happen next week. See also: Facebook's new Clear History privacy tool will let you stop third-party tracking and delete collected info There's still no 'dislike' option, but Facebook is testing upvote and downvote buttons with many users Facebook… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus is about to lift the curtain on its latest "flagship killer", the OnePlus 6. The new device will be unveiled at the Copper Box Arena in London in what promises to be the company’s largest event ever. As always, we already know a fair bit about the latest iteration thanks to a major leak which revealed the pricing and some photos. The leak came via Amazon Germany, and includes high resolution renders of the glass-bodied phone. It also revealed the device will be available in Mirror Black and Midnight Black, and there could well be a white version too.… [Continue Reading]

Not wanting to be outdone by Apple, Microsoft is reportedly planning to release a low-cost Surface tablet later this year. Said to measure 10 inches and with a price tag of around $400, the budget Surface will retain the familiar kickstand found on its Pro sibling, and will compete directly with the iPad. This is not a re-run of the Surface RT, as full-blown Windows will be supported. See also: Microsoft blocks the rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update to computers with problematic Intel SSDs Ubuntu 18.04 LTS hits the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users Microsoft announces Surface… [Continue Reading]

SaaS operations management platform BetterCloud has announced a partnership with enterprise identity provider Okta to allow companies to provide simple, secure user access while meeting day-to-day operational management and security requirements for their mission-critical SaaS applications. BetterCloud Connector for Okta provides organizations with a strong policy management solution that securely and effectively authenticates, provisions and governs configuration, settings and data within SaaS applications across the enterprise. "Enterprises are facing a massive SaaS sprawl today, making it more difficult and time consuming than ever to manage and secure business-critical data across their application stack," says Shreyas Sadalgi, chief business strategy officer… [Continue Reading]

With GDPR implementation just over a week away, a report from US law firm Attorney.IO suggests that rights under the legislation may be available to others besides EU citizens. Based on the answers 129 law professors gave to questions on the GDPR, it points out that GDPR doesn't just apply to citizens of an EU country. It applies to anyone who at any time set foot in an EU country and transmitted their data to a covered internet company. So, for example, a US tourist who visits Germany for one day and returns to the US has rights under the… [Continue Reading]

Fedora is a great Linux distribution, but it is not always a wise choice for beginners. Since the distro focuses on truly free and open source software, it can be hard to get non-free packages, proprietary drivers, fonts, and codecs installed. Fedora 28 makes this easier thanks to an update to the Software app, but it is still not as easy as say, Ubuntu. That's why Korora is such a cool operating system -- it uses Fedora as a base, but comes pre-installed with useful apps and repositories. True, that sort of deviates from the Fedora ideology, but at least… [Continue Reading]

Samsung’s S9 and S9+ are very attractive smartphones, but the South Korean company has just introduced two new color editions which make them look even more striking. The devices are currently available in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue, and Lilac Purple, but soon you’ll also be able to buy them in new Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red, although the new colors aren’t available everywhere. SEE ALSO: Samsung announces the Galaxy A6 and A6+ with Super AMOLED screens and advanced cameras Inside Samsung d’light, a three-storied futuristic exhibition space in Seoul The Sunrise Gold edition features a satin gloss finish… [Continue Reading]

If you have an Intel SSD installed, there's a chance that you won't be able to upgrade to Windows 10 April 2018 Update for the time being. Computers with Intel SSD 600p Series or Intel SSD Pro 6000p Series ended up crashing after the installation of the most recent major update to Windows 10, but users have been able to roll back their system to a usable state. To prevent further problems Microsoft has opted to block the April 2018 Update to such systems. In a post on the Microsoft Community, moderator Lonnie_L explained recently: "When attempting to upgrade to… [Continue Reading]

There are now two versions of Ubuntu available to download from the Microsoft Store. Adding to the existing Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04 has also now arrived. The addition comes just weeks after the official launch of Ubuntu 18.04, and it gives Windows 10 users the option of working with the new LTS (long term support) build of Ubuntu. The older version remains supported for the time being as well. See also: Canonical finally comments on Ubuntu Linux Snap Store security failure Ubuntu Snap Store app contained cryptocurrency miner Ubuntu Linux 18.04 Bionic Beaver is here -- download it now! Weighing… [Continue Reading]

Earlier today, I needed to get Skype onto my iPhone X to receive an overseas call. So I hauled over to the App Store, like any sensible iOS user would do. I was shocked—absolutely floored—to see an advert for Google Duo taking up about half the screen, and appearing above Skype. You got to ask how many people end up downloading the upper one instead. I don't often go to the App Store and wonder: How long has been this kind of aggressive placement? The Internet has its share of whiners about paid adverts placed on Google search pages—and not… [Continue Reading]

In April, Lastline launched the first of our Malscape Monitor reports, for the fourth quarter of 2017. The report analyzes data from our Global Threat Intelligence Network to provide several insights and benchmarks on encounter rates with malware that CISOs can use to measure their own cyber risk and security performance. There are three findings that I want to elaborate on in this blog post that I think will illustrate why many of today’s threat detection technologies are ineffective resulting in increased risk of a malware infection. External Threat Intel Feeds are Not Helpful Most threat intelligence feeds are static… [Continue Reading]

Cloud computing is proliferating and taking over the world of IT as we know it. Cloud computing also grows more complex and multi-faceted daily. Getting onto the cloud is easy. Getting it right is trickier. You can probably see why a carefully thought-out and detailed approach to cloud computing -- a strategy, in other words -- is so important. Learn more in this ebook brought to you free by Red Hat and Intel. What You Will Learn: Key cloud strategy considerations Architecting to maximize flexibility Unified IT management and more Ten reasons to develop a cloud strategy All you have… [Continue Reading]

Twitter's troll problem has not improved, despite various measures taken by the company. The latest attempt to get things under control finds Twitter changing its algorithms to take into account "behavioral signals" and help bury content from trolls. The algorithm tweaks do not means that tweets will be deleted, but those that are found to "distort and detract from the public conversation" will be pushed further down conversations and search results to reduce their visibility. See also: Twitter warns all users to change passwords after 'bug' left credentials stored in plaintext Twitter bans Kaspersky Lab from buying ads Twitter to… [Continue Reading]

Google Wifi solved the problem of patchy Wi-Fi in my home and it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of the company’s mesh solution. The app for it, which is used to set up and monitor your network, is great and the Network Check feature is essential for testing the speed of your internet, the connection quality between points, and the Wi-Fi strength of your mobile device. The Network Check feature is about to get better though, with the ability to measure how each individual connected device is performing on your wireless network. Announcing the new addition, Google says:… [Continue Reading]

The latest update rolling out to WhatsApp users heralds the arrival of a batch of new group messaging features. Available to both iOS and Android users, the new features include a Slack-style "group catch up" option, and it is also possible to add a description to group chats, and search for individual participants. See also: WhatsApp raises minimum user age to 16 in Europe and announces data download tool Now you have longer to delete your WhatsApp messages BlackBerry sues Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in messaging patent spat Group messaging has become increasingly important to WhatsApp in recent times, as… [Continue Reading]

In most people's minds blockchain technology is associated with cryptocurrency, but it has potential to be useful in a whole range of other areas. Consumer research company The Opinion Economy has produced an infographic to highlight the potential of blockchain in a whole range of areas. The things it looks at include the building of self-enforcing smart contracts, and the savings that it can offer in administering payments and securing transactions, streamlining operations by cutting out middlemen. There's potential to improve the quality of healthcare and to smooth out real estate transactions too. It could also be used to authenticate… [Continue Reading]

The first quarter of 2018 has shown a 1.8 percent increase in the number of disclosed vulnerabilities over the same period in 2017, with 5,375 unique vulnerabilities reported. This is one of the findings of Risk Based Security's latest Vulnerability QuickView Report, which suggests that unless the rate of increase slows down 2018 will be another record year. More worrying is that 1,790 (33.3 percent) of the vulnerabilities tracked do not have a CVE ID assigned and therefore are not available in NVD and similar databases that solely rely on CVE. 19.7 percent of these vulnerabilities have a CVSSv2 score… [Continue Reading]

Over the weekend, we reported on an Ubuntu Snap Store app that had a hidden cryptocurrency miner. This was a disappointing discovery, as users' machines were being hijacked to earn money for the developer. With that said, it wasn't necessarily malware, as it did not cause harm to the computer, nor did it steal data or install a backdoor. Nevertheless, Canonical pulled the offending app and the developer's other submissions. The apps will eventually be re-listed without the mining code. Today, the company breaks its silence, finally commenting officially on this fiasco. The big question is whether or not this… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s original Surface Hub was plagued with manufacturing problems and delays. The giant wall-mounted Surface, aimed at businesses, was first announced in 2015, with an estimated shipping date of July 1. That date came and went, and Microsoft announced that it would instead arrive January 2016, but then missed that deadline as well, and threw in a price hike for good measure. The product eventually started shipping to businesses in March 2016. Now, just over two years later, a new generation of Surface Hub is being announced. Want to get one for your business? Predictably it’s not going to be… [Continue Reading]

When GDPR comes into force next week, organizations will have 72 hours to report security breaches to a regulator once they become aware of them. Ahead of the new legislation, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has released details of the latest data security trends. Reported incidents in the final quarter of 2017 showed a 17 percent increase over the previous quarter, perhaps indicating that companies are taking a more proactive approach to reporting as GDPR approaches. Incidents in the education sector rose by 32 percent over the same period and those in the charitable and giving sector by 69… [Continue Reading]

A new study from user behavior intelligence specialist Dtex Systems has uncovered active insider threats in all of the organizations it assessed. Failure to gain visibility is allowing malicious and negligent employees to engage in undetected high-risk activities on every endpoint, on and off the network. Malicious employees are users that intentionally harm their organizations through theft, sabotage, and blatant disregard for security. Negligent employees are those that hurt their organization due to a lack of defenses, lack of awareness, carelessness and error. "Organizations come to us because they know their employees are engaged in risky behaviors. They usually have… [Continue Reading]

Kaspersky Lab has announced that it plans to move data out of Russia and into a new data center in Switzerland. The move is part of the company's Global Transparency Initiative which came in response to concerns about ties to the Russian government. Software produced by Kaspersky has already been banned from US government systems, and the company has been on a mission to prove that Russia is not spying on other countries via its antivirus tools. See also: Twitter bans Kaspersky Lab from buying ads Kaspersky Lab plans Swiss data center to quell fears about Russian connections Kaspersky sues… [Continue Reading]

Wireless mice are more aesthetically pleasing than wired variants, but for the most part, I choose pointing devices with cables. Why? Well, nothing infuriates me more than having a mouse stop working because the battery died -- especially while in the middle of a game. At least with a wired mouse, I don't have to worry about that. Today, Logitech unveils an affordable gaming mouse that offers an incredible 250 hours of battery life, meaning anxiety about depleted batteries should be minimal. An indicator light will alert you when power is getting low, so you won't be caught off guard.… [Continue Reading]

Mobile marketing and analytics specialist Flurry is launching a new push notification tool to help companies engage and retain users across Android and iOS platforms. Flurry Push is a free offering within the new Flurry Marketing Suite that lets app developers send out targeted messages to grow business and build revenue. "We've heard consistently from our developers that messaging is one of the most powerful tools for boosting user engagement," says David Berger, VP, engineering at Oath, Flurry's parent company. "With Flurry Push, we're putting free messaging front-and-center to empower developers to take charge of their app business and address… [Continue Reading]

Facebook has launched a new Youth Portal with the aim of educating its teenage users about using the social network safely. The portal also reveals to teens how Facebook uses their data, and is packed with tips about using the service and translates the site's Data Policy into a more understandable form. See also: Facebook's new Clear History privacy tool will let you stop third-party tracking and delete collected info There's still no 'dislike' option, but Facebook is testing upvote and downvote buttons with many users Following Apple's lead from 2016, Microsoft, Facebook and Google replace gun emoji with water… [Continue Reading]

Master & Dynamic headphones have previously proved very popular here with the BetaNews team, and the latest addition -- the MW50+ -- looks set to continue the trend. The same retro look is here, and these new headphones sit part way between the MW50 and MW60 models. While the MW50 features an on-ear design, and the MW60 an over-ear design, the MW50+ can convert between on-ear and over-ear modes thanks to detachable, magnetic earpads made of memory foam and lambskin. The company says that the headphones are aimed at the "busy urban professional", and the switchable ear modes are not… [Continue Reading]

AMD has been doing tremendous things on the consumer front lately. Its new Ryzen 2 processors and X470 chipset have enthusiasts excited, thanks to big performance coupled with small prices. Seriously, folks, AMD is where it's at for value. Hardcore enthusiasts can even opt for the Ryzen Threadripper processors for a top multi-core experience. While AMD CPUs are great, its APUs offer even more bang for your buck. If you aren't familiar, an APU is essentially a CPU and GPU on one chip. Today, AMD announces new Ryzen PRO APUs, which have Radeon Vega-level graphics. These "Pro" chips are designed… [Continue Reading]

Cloud storage is one of the most significant innovations in tech history. Let's be honest, many people fail to backup their important files. When something bad happens -- like a drive failing or a smartphone breaking -- people always wish that they had remembered to back things up. With the cloud nowadays, data backup is often done automatically to an off-site location, meaning your data is safe and secure no matter what. Long gone is the need to fiddle with external drives -- which can be lost to a disaster, by the way. Google Drive is one of the best… [Continue Reading]

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting unpatched server vulnerabilities to infect machines with cryptomining malware, according to a new report. The study from Check Point Software Technologies sees cryptomining malware dominate Check Point’s Top Ten Most Wanted Malware Index, the Coinhive variant retains the top spot with a global reach of 16 percent. Cryptoloot -- another crypto-mining malware -- is close behind with a global reach of 14 percent, while the Roughted malvertising malware came in third (11 percent). Two unpatched server vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (CVE-2017-7269) and Oracle Web Logic (CVE-2017-10271) are being targeted in order to illicitly mine… [Continue Reading]

The Electron framework -- the basis of popular apps including Skype, Slack, Signal and WordPress -- has been found to contain a security flaw that leaves it vulnerable to attack. The GitHub-created tool has a vulnerability that allows hackers to execute arbitrary code on remote systems. CVE-2018-1000136 affects Electron 1.7.13 and older as well as Electron 1.8.4 and 2.0.0-beta.3, and the problem exists because of the interaction between Electron and Node.js. See also: Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates Amazon now offers a smart home security installation service Google's Project Zero reveals security flaw in Windows… [Continue Reading]

A new study finds that enterprise networks have thousands of shadow personal devices including laptops, tablets and mobile phones, as well as Internet of Things devices -- such as digital assistants and smart kitchen appliances -- connecting to them. The report from network control company Infoblox shows 35 percent of companies in the US, UK and Germany reported more than 5,000 personal devices connecting to the network each day. Employees in the US and UK admit to connecting to the enterprise network for a number of reasons, including to access social media (39 percent), as well as to download apps,… [Continue Reading]

Donald Trump has caused confusion after using Twitter to indicate that he would like to get Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE "back into business, fast". This is despite the US Department of Commerce banning exports to the company for seven years, something ZTE says left it unable to continue running its main operations. Trump now says that he's working with China's President Xi to help get the company back up and running. Unsurprisingly, the disparity between what Trump says in his weekend tweet and what the current US sanctions mean has led to a lot of questions. See also: US ban… [Continue Reading]

Details of just about every OnePlus handset have leaked ahead of their launches, and the OnePlus 6 is no different. There are only a couple of days until the phone is revealed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, and we've already had numerous leaks relating to the upcoming handset. Amazon Germany has accidentally given away more than OnePlus may have liked, revealing high resolution renders of the glass-bodied phone, as well as the pricing and release date. See also: OnePlus 6 specs leak ahead of the launch later this month Yep, the OnePlus 6 definitely has a notch -- deal with… [Continue Reading]

A few days ago, BetaNews Managing Editor Wayne Williams emailed asking if I could contribute content after being silent for ages, especially as the site's 20th anniversary approaches. He doesn't fathom the potential terror that request will unleash. I have written a total of two tech stories for BN in 2018—surely to the delight of my many commenter critics. Reason: Joe Wilcox is on a self-imposed writing hiatus as he looks distrustfully at the many so-called innovations that he championed during a 25-year technology reporting career. He is disgusted to see how we have become commodities stored in the pantries… [Continue Reading]

There was a recent discovery that an app called "2048buntu" in the Ubuntu Snap Store contained cryptocurrency (Bytecoin) mining code. Thankfully, this app -- and the developer's other submissions -- have since been removed. Yeah, it's annoying that the developer chose to add this code, but is it really a malicious thing? I mean, since the app is open source, this mining code was technically not hidden, right? After all, the open nature is how it was discovered. What is the downside to having this cryptocurrency code commingled with the expected code? Well, the mining can slow down your computer… [Continue Reading]

There was a recent discovery that an app called "2048buntu" in the Ubuntu Snap Store contained cryptocurrency (Bytecoin) mining code. Thankfully, this app -- and the developer's other submissions -- have since been removed. What is the downside to having this cryptocurrency code commingled with the expected code? Well, the mining can slow down your computer while also increasing your electricity use. So yes, it can have a negative impact on your machine's performance and cost you money. With that said, it doesn't steal any information or open any backdoors. Calling it malware is arguably an exaggeration then. So what… [Continue Reading]

The fragmentation problem that affects Android not only means that there are a tiny number of users running the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, but also that many handsets are not patched with the latest security update. This could be about to change. At its I/O developer conference this week, Google announced that its security policies will be changing. While its not clear when this could happen, the company will require some smartphone manufacturers to roll out regular security updates to users. See also: Microsoft says that to text from Windows 10 with Your Phone app, you'll need… [Continue Reading]

If you have a Surface Pro 4, you might be one of the unlucky tablet owners to suffer from a flickering screen -- a problem predictably dubbed "flickergate". Unable to come up with a fix, Microsoft has opened up a replacement program that means that those affected by the problem will be able to get a new Surface Pro 4 free of charge. Microsoft says that it has been unable to produce a patch to address the issue, and is therefore simply going to offer replacements to people. What's not clear is why it has taken the company so long… [Continue Reading]

Despite Microsoft ending support for Windows XP back in 2014, it’s still in use around the world. The latest usage figures from NetMarketShare give the vintage OS a decent 6.13 percent share of the market, and it’s still to be found in many businesses. The OS first appeared 17 years ago and the final service pack (SP3) came out a decade ago. Compared to Windows 10, XP now looks incredibly dated, and lacks many of the modern features we take for granted. But what if Microsoft updated it? YouTuber Kamer Kaan Avdan, who has previously created concept videos for Windows… [Continue Reading]

There's now just two weeks until the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law comes into force across Europe. Technology companies have been scrabbling to update their privacy policies in order to comply, and today Google reveals the steps it has taken to become compliant. In addition to this, the company has also published its updated privacy policy. In keeping with GDPR, this time around the terms are presented in a much more accessible and transparent form. See also: Google Drive gets a major redesign to match the look of the new Gmail Companies can turn GDPR compliance into competitive… [Continue Reading]

Two-hundred-and-eighty-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft announced recently that it will increase the revenue share for Windows app developers to up to 95 percent. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The following list is a selection of the best deals. Make sure you check out the Store… [Continue Reading]

There are few handsets released these days that do not fall victim to leaks. Phones from Samsung are no different, and the same thing has happened with the upcoming Galaxy Note9. In addition to a leaked image -- which shows that Samsung has done little to change the design of the phone since the Note 8 -- benchmark results for the handset have also appeared online. The image may not offer too much to get excited about, but the benchmarks give away more information. The leak image comes courtesy of Twitter user Ice Universe. The leaker is anonymous, but has… [Continue Reading]

There's bad news for iPhone users who were previously excited about Microsoft's upcoming Your Phone app. Revealed at Build 2018 earlier this week, this new Windows 10 app will provide a way to connect your phone to your computer and then view notifications, send texts and copy files from within Windows 10. But some of this functionality will be Android-only. Microsoft says that it needs to work with Apple to get some features up and running, including being able to respond to iPhone text messages via Windows 10. But how likely is this cooperation? See also: Microsoft announces Your Phone,… [Continue Reading]

Conducting a web search on mobile -- unless you’re incredibly specific -- is hit or miss. Want to test it out, just use your device’s voice assistant to conduct a search. Siri or Google Assistant will commonly return an unrelated series of results, more than they should anyway. Then, you have to sort through lengthy search listings to find what you’re looking for, hopping from website to website until you find what you need. Even then, a single website might not contain the full amount of information you’re looking for. Sorting through the results manually isn’t any more accurate, however.… [Continue Reading]

Just yesterday, we shared the news that System76 had refreshed its popular Oryx Pro laptop. The Linux community was abuzz with excitement over the thinner and faster notebook. After all, it offers a lot of horsepower at a very affordable price. Heck, the battery life has even doubled compared to its predecessor! The computer seller is apparently not ready to slow down, however, as today it also refreshes its affordable and svelte Galago Pro Linux ultrabook. What's particularly exciting about the new model is that it has two screen sizes -- 13 inch HiDPI or 14 inch 1080p (in matte). Regardless… [Continue Reading]

CRM systems should make communication with customers easier, but a new report from ProsperWorks, the CRM tool for Google's G Suite, suggests CRM technology isn't keeping pace with the needs of the digital workforce. ProsperWorks commissioned research firm Lab42 to conduct a survey on sales relationships and CRM pain points from those that frequently use CRM systems. The findings show that the way companies interact with customers is changing but CRM technology is too manual, hasn't evolved and is not focused enough on fostering relationships. It's no surprise then that nearly half of respondents think innovation of CRM should be… [Continue Reading]

ZTE's fall from grace has been fairly spectacular. Now -- just weeks after been blacklisted by both the US and the UK -- the Chinese telecom manufacturer has announced that it has ceased its "major operating activities". The company blames the move directly on the US ban on sales to ZTE, but says it is talking to the US government to try to get the ban lifted. Without a supply of US-made components, ZTE is going to find it very difficult to operate for very long. See also: ZTE says Denial Order put in place by the US Department of… [Continue Reading]

A new report from mobile measurement company Adjust reveals that in the first quarter of this year mobile ad fraud nearly doubled over the same period in 2017. Adjust measured 3.43 billion app installs and over 350 billion events, processing and analyzing 125 terabytes of data per day from 20,000+ apps over the first three months of 2018. Adjust's Fraud Prevention Suite rejected 7.3 percent of all paid installs, the most common being SDK spoofing (37 percent), click injection (27 percent), faked installs (20 percent) and click spam (16 percent). SDK Spoofing has rapidly gained momentum and become fraudsters' preferred… [Continue Reading]

When traveling, we like to take as little as possible. We don’t want to be dragging a huge 15" laptop on the road, but we still need access to our files, data and even our favorite apps. With this in mind, often we carry around a small USB stick with our most important data. Simply plug the USB stick into any computer and you have full and secure access to your files, without having to worry about copying them to the temporary PC. PortableApps.com has just launched Platform 15 and this is their platform for managing your portable apps. Portable apps… [Continue Reading]

GDPR comes into force on May 25th and will have an effect on all companies that collect user data even if they are outside the EU. Independent identity research and strategy company One World Identity has produced a report that aims to serve as a definitive primer on what companies need to do to comply, and help them turn that compliance into a competitive edge. "Even if a company is not currently governed by GDPR, raising the bar for accuracy in line with the regulation’s principles could have a tangible impact on their bottom line," says Kaelyn Lowmaster, Principal Analyst… [Continue Reading]

Google has announced that it is to acquire Israeli firm Velostrata. This startup specializes in enterprise cloud migration technology. Velostrata was founded in 2014, and its patented technology will help to give Google valuable tools for its customers looking to migrate from in-premises to cloud solutions. See also: Google Drive gets a major redesign to match the look of the new Gmail Google rolls out massive Gmail redesign -- here's what's new and how to access it Upcoming Gmail redesign will also herald the arrival of self-destructing emails In a blog post, Eyal Manor, vice president of engineering at… [Continue Reading]

Following on from the redesign of Gmail, Google has start to roll out a new interface to Google Drive. The new user interface can be found on the web version of the cloud storage service, but it's likely that mobile apps will follow suit. Google hasn't made much of a fuss about this redesign, but keeping things in line with other G Suite products makes a lot of sense. The redesign sees the arrival of an updated material look. See also: Gmail's new 'Smart Compose' feature writes replies for you Google rolls out massive Gmail redesign -- here's what's new… [Continue Reading]

The smart home is a huge industry right now -- more and more appliances are gaining internet connectivity all the time. For instance, you can control your lights, garage door, television, and sprinkler system with an app nowadays. Hell, there are even internet-connected refrigerators! What a world we live in, eh? Schlage has been selling smart deadbolt door locks that you can operate via app. Since they also have a key pad, you can share codes with friends and family so they can enter when you aren't around -- don't worry, you can always change the pin. The concept of… [Continue Reading]

With Redstone 4 builds of Windows 10, the new features and changes came to users quite gradually. That’s certainly not the case with Redstone 5 releases. The latest build rolling out to Insiders on the Fast ring and Skip Ahead today is the perfect case in point. Build 17666 (it's a beast of a build, so the number is apt) is chock full of exciting new features that you really won’t want to wait to get your hands on, including Cloud Clipboard, a dark theme for File Explorer, major improvements to Sets, the ability to search Bing in Notepad and… [Continue Reading]

Last week, System76 started to share details about its refreshed Linux-powered Oryx Pro laptop. It would be thinner and more powerful, while adding twice the battery life of its predecessor. Unfortunately, we did not yet know exactly what the laptop looked like. Today, we finally have official images. This new Oryx Pro is quite breathtaking, as it is a true Pro machine -- with the USB Type-A, Ethernet, and HDMI ports you expect -- while being just 19mm thin. It has the horsepower that power-users need, thanks to its 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series GPU. Hey,… [Continue Reading]

Mozilla has released Firefox Quantum 60.0 for desktop, along with Firefox for Android 60.0 and Firefox ESR 60.0. The new version adds an Enterprise-friendly policy engine for customizing Firefox deployments. Elsewhere there are several improvements to the New Tab/Firefox Home page and enhanced camera privacy indicators. The Firefox Home page that appears with new tabs has been tweaked, with a new responsive layout that displays more content on wider displays. Additional options have also been added for managing content and sections on the page. Elsewhere, the Highlights section now includes content saved to Pocket, although on the downside sponsored Pocket… [Continue Reading]

President Trump's re-imposition of sanctions against Iran could lead the country to respond by launching cyber attacks on Western businesses within months, according to a new report. Threat intelligence company Recorded Future has today released new research and analysis into the Iranian cyber threat. Since at least 2009, Iran has regularly responded to sanctions or perceived provocations by conducting offensive cyber campaigns say the report's authors. "The Islamic Republic has historically preferred to use proxies or front organizations both in physical conflict -- Hezbollah against Israel and Yemen rebels against Saudi Arabia -- and cyberattacks to achieve its policy goals."… [Continue Reading]

Apple appears to be more vigorously enforcing App Store policies relating to the sharing of location data. Over the last few days the company has been removing apps that share location details with third parties without consent. Developers of apps found to be exploiting user privacy in this way have received emails from Apple. These indicate that apps have undergone "re-evaluation" and found to be in violation of sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines. See also: Apple tells developers that apps must support iPhone X notch from July Apple's purchase of Shazam to be investigated by… [Continue Reading]

Rumors have circulated for a number of weeks, but now it's official: Walmart has just said it will spend $16 billion buying a controlling sharing in Flipkart, the Indian ecommerce site. The American retail giant fought off a last-minute bid from Amazon. The deal values Flipkart at $20.8 billion, and will see Walmart taking an initial stake of 77 percent of the company. The remainder of Flipkart ownership is shared between Tencent, Tiger Global and Microsoft, as well as its co-founder Binny Bansal. See also: com now redirects to Amazon and the company's new Wag pet brand Amazon now offers… [Continue Reading]

According to a new survey from Arxan, only 25 percent of respondents say their organization is making a significant investment in solutions to prevent application attacks. This is despite awareness of the negative impact of malicious activity. A worrying 65 percent of companies say they would be spurred to increase application protection measures only after an end user or customer was negatively affected. "It's disturbing that so many companies acknowledge the increasing risk of application attacks, yet they are doing very little to prevent breaches from occurring," says Joe Sander, CEO of Arxan. "It's backward thinking, and it puts customers… [Continue Reading]

Google has a new tool designed to help developers produce Android apps faster than ever. Called Android Jetpack, it builds on the Support Library and has a strong focus on backwards compatibility. Android Jetpack also builds on Architecture Components, giving developers access to components, tools and architectural guidance split into four categories -- architecture, foundation, UI and behavior. Each component is provided as an "unbundled" library which Google says means you can "adopt each component at your own speed, at your own time". See also: The best Android apps and games revealed in 2018 Google Play Awards Android P: Smarter… [Continue Reading]

For many people, keyboard shortcuts are essential to using a computer, and over time they become hardwired into muscle memory. You've probably become used to the way Alt-Tab can be used to switch between running apps, but Microsoft plans to change the way this particular shortcut works. At Build, the company revealed that the next Insider build of Windows 10 will not only let you Alt-Tab between running programs, but also browser tabs. It's something that's being introduced as part of Sets, and it's likely to divide opinion. See also: Microsoft announces Your Phone, an app to view your iPhone… [Continue Reading]

Notepad is a classic piece of software. It is the unsung hero of every Windows installation. If you want to jot down a quick note, it is a blank canvas awaiting your keystrokes. As a young man, I used Notepad to write my school papers. Microsoft Office was reserved for rich folks, and there was no LibreOffice -- or even Open Office -- yet. Even the no-frills Microsoft Works was priced out of my family's reach, but I digress. As Microsoft turns its attention away from the wonderful Paint to focus on the terrible Photos and Paint 3D, you'd expect… [Continue Reading]

Google is a big supporter and user of Linux. Android, for instance, is the most popular Linux-based distribution in the world. Mobile aside, the search giant also leverages the open source kernel for its desktop operating system -- Chrome OS. While some Linux purists decry calling Google's operating systems "Linux," it simply cannot be denied. They are Linux. I can understand some people suggesting traditional Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, but Chrome OS -- and the Chromebooks on which it runs -- is arguably more secure while also being easier to use. If I had to choose one operating… [Continue Reading]

Today at its I/O developer conference, Google revealed major changes for Google News. The company says that the revamp combines the best of artificial intelligence with the best of human intelligence, and it sees Google try to rebuild the trust people have in online news. As well as a revamp of the underlying technology, there are also changes in presentation. A "For You" section in the app provides easy access to the most relevant stories that will be of personal interest, and there are also new opportunities for readers to delve deeper into stories via various news outlets, social media,… [Continue Reading]

Today at Google I/O, the search giant unveiled a beta version of Android P, the next release of its mobile operating system. This future OS makes good use of machine learning in a number of ways, including Adaptive Battery, which prioritizes battery power for the apps and services you use the most, and Adaptive Brightness, which learns how you like to set the brightness based on your surroundings. SEE ALSO: Gmail's new 'Smart Compose' feature writes replies for you There's also App Actions which predict what you want to do next, saving you time. As an example, Google says: "Say… [Continue Reading]

Ubuntu 18.04 was released last month, and for the most part, it is a solid release. As per usual, version 18.04 was given a silly name -- Bionic Beaver. Canonical follows an alphabetic naming convention, where two words are used that start with that same letter. The first word tends to be an adjective or other descriptive word, while the second word is always an animal. And yes, it is all a bit silly. With the upcoming Ubuntu 18.10 -- due in October -- the name will be based on the letter "C." Today, Mark Shuttleworth, founder and CEO of… [Continue Reading]

Google’s I/O developer conference is underway and there will be plenty of announcements coming from the search giant. Hot on the heels of the big makeover for Gmail comes news of another powerful new feature for the webmail service. Smart Compose uses machine learning to help you write responses to emails. It’s a step beyond the Smart Reply feature the company introduced last year. Whereas Smart Reply offered some simple phrases you could select and then edit as required, Smart Compose suggests complete sentences as you type. If you see a suggestion you like, hit tab and it will be… [Continue Reading]

The number of data breaches disclosed in the first three months of this year fell to 686 compared to 1,444 breaches reported in the same period of 2017, according to a new report. This still represents the exposure of some 1.4 billion records, although this figure too is down from 3.4 billion in the same quarter last year. The study from Risk Based Security also shows a shift in tactics. The spike in the value of cryptocurrencies that took place in January fueled a rapid expansion into the theft of computing resources. "We knew we were seeing less activity than prior… [Continue Reading]

It's been accepted wisdom for some time that an injection of extra talent is needed to solve the cybersecurity skills shortage. Further confirmation of this comes in the form of a report from ProtectWise looking at the survey responses of 524 technology-savvy millennials and post-millennials in the US, conducted by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), to see if there were potential answers to the security skills shortage. The data shows that the younger generation understands and acknowledges that technology and computing are likely to play a significant role in their future careers. This means that the generations that grew up with iPhones… [Continue Reading]

It’s the season for developer conferences right now. Yesterday, Microsoft’s Build kicked off in Seattle, and today Google takes to the stage to reveal its future plans. The annual Google I/O developer conference begins with a consumer keynote taking place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The company has already made some announcements regarding the likes of Android TV, Google Home, and a new Assistant for Wear OS, but there’s much more to come. Among other things, the search giant will be revealing more about Android P, the next version of its Android operating system, there will be… [Continue Reading]

Apple has issued new guidelines for iOS apps submitted to the App Store, with the biggest change being that developers must use the iOS 11 SDK. Devs are advised that they should "update your version of Xcode to the latest release of Xcode 9 available on the Mac App Store" as this includes the relevant SDK. Apple also says that apps should be "ready to take advantage of the Super Retina display by respecting safe areas, supporting adaptive layouts, and more". SEE ALSO: Apple's purchase of Shazam to be investigated by the EU Apple announces free 13-inch MacBook Pro (non-Touch… [Continue Reading]

It's not long since Google's Android Excellence program bestowed praise on apps and games on what were considered to offer a high quality experience. Now the company has used Google I/O to reveal the winners of the 2018 Google Play Awards. Google says that the aim of the ceremony is to "recognize the best apps and games on Google Play over the past year", and it's a great way to discover something new to try. See also: Android Things exits beta as Google jumps further into the IoT Microsoft announces Your Phone, an app to view your iPhone or Android… [Continue Reading]

Never afraid to steal an idea or two from its competitors, Facebook is at it once again, this time "borrowing" Bitmoji from Snapchat. The yet-to-be-released feature is called Facebook Avatars and it will let users create personalized cartoon images of themselves to use as stickers or emoji. The Avatars feature has not even been announced by Facebook yet, but references to it were found hidden deep in the code of the social network's Android app. The company has, however, confirmed that the feature is in development. See also: Facebook's new Clear History privacy tool will let you stop third-party tracking… [Continue Reading]

If you are a PC gamer, there are many ways to gain an edge -- such as upgrading components and accessories. A new GPU and mouse, for instance, can make a big difference. With console gaming you are much more limited -- you can't upgrade the CPU, GPU, or RAM. Some argue that is a good thing, as it levels the playing field, while others say a lack of upgradeability is a negative. If you are an Xbox One gamer, however, there is a new piece of hardware that could give you an edge when playing online -- the Linksys… [Continue Reading]

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones you can buy. Not only is it elegantly made, but it has top specifications, including a drool-worthy display. The camera even leverages artificial intelligence, making it one of the best picture-taking experiences on the market. Don't forget -- BetaNews is giving one of these amazing flagships away, so be sure to enter our giveaway here. Only one person can win our contest, however, so if you really want a Mate 10 Pro, your best bet is to simply buy one. Thankfully, starting today, the Huawei flagship becomes more… [Continue Reading]

Google today announced the launch of Android Things 1.0, its Internet of Things platform. There have been numerous beta versions for developers to play with, but now that the operating system has been officially launched we can expect to see it popping up on a wide range of devices. The company says that it has been working closely with a number of manufacturers to help ensure that products will be available soon. On the horizon are smart speakers from LG and iHome, as well as smart displays from Lenovo, LG, and JBL. See also: Microsoft announces Your Phone, an app… [Continue Reading]

Having given up on its own mobile operating system, Microsoft has a greater interest in Android and iOS than ever before. Today at its Build 2018 developer conference, the company announces a new app called Your Phone. The purpose of the app is to enable you to connect your computer to an iPhone or Android device and access the handset's contents without having to pick it up. As well as being able to view and respond to text messages from the comfort of your PC, you'll also be able to move files to and from your phone. See also: Microsoft's… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update has started to roll out to users around the world, and it has not been without its problems. One issue that some people have noticed is that the "Feedback frequency" setting cannot be changed. Users are complaining that the setting has a new label reading "Windows Insider Program manages this option" -- regardless of whether the computer has been part of the Insider program or not. An update is available to address the problem, but it has to be installed manually. See also: Microsoft is working on a fix for Chrome and Cortana freezes… [Continue Reading]

It’s that time of year again. Microsoft is kicking off its annual Build developer conference in Seattle today, May 7, starting with its opening keynote this morning (a second keynote is happening tomorrow). Last year at Build Microsoft announced the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, new mixed reality headsets and controllers, and 'Project Emma', a wearable for Parkinson's disease sufferers. So what can we expect this year? SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April… [Continue Reading]

It is now over a year since Vine closed down, and fans have been holding out for a follow-up to the video service. Co-founder Dom Hofmann previously said that work was underway on a successor called V2, but this has now been put on hold. Blaming "financial and legal hurdles", Hoffmann now says that the project has been postponed "for an indefinite amount of time". He says that he had hoped to bring V2 to life as a personal project, but the realization that more money will be needed means that investors need to be brought onboard. Hoffman made the… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update rollout to PCs around the world has already started, and Microsoft says that the update will also make its way to compatible Windows 10 Mobile devices. The number of people who will actually end up receiving this update, however, is likely to be rather limited. Microsoft says that the availability of Windows 10 Mobile April 2018 Update will vary according to "manufacturer, model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, hardware limitations" and -- ominously -- "other factors". See also: Microsoft is working on a fix for Chrome and Cortana freezes in Windows… [Continue Reading]

With GDPR implementation now only weeks away many businesses are still not fully prepared for the impact of the new legislation. We spoke to Matt Klassen VP of cloud marketing at IT service management specialist Cherwell Software to find out how managed services can help companies to comply with GDPR by the may 25th deadline and to manage the additional workload it's likely to create. BN: We see a lot of stories at the moment that most businesses aren't ready for GDPR. Is this a fair assessment? MK: I think it is, it's a global problem though I think companies… [Continue Reading]

The new batch of privacy related legislations that's due to roll out across Europe later this month has claimed another victim -- Unroll.Me. The email management service, which claims to help users "clean up your inbox", has announced that it is incompatible with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and will therefore close down in the EU on May 23. If you live in the EU, Unroll.Me will delete your account and you'll no longer be able to use the service. See also: Facebook sneakily shifts data of 1.5 billion users away from Europe and GDPR 73 percent of UK businesses… [Continue Reading]

If you've not updated to Windows 10 April 2018 Update but you have installed Microsoft's Meltdown patches from a few months ago, your computer is vulnerable to a "fatal flaw". This is not the first time a patch for the Meltdown vulnerability has led to problems with Windows, but previously it was Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 that were affected. A security researcher found that Microsoft's patch for Windows 10 "undermined the mitigation", and while the problem has been fixed in the April 2018, the company is still working on backporting an updated patch for older versions of Windows… [Continue Reading]

The OnePlus 6 is due to be revealed on May 26 and, as with just about every OnePlus device, details of the latest flagship have leaked out nice and early. There have already been a number of rumors relating to the OnePlus 6 -- such as confirmation of the notch -- but now full specifications have appeared on the website of Chinese regulator TENAA. So what can you expect from the A6000, and will it be enough to warrant an upgrade from a OnePlus 5 or OnePlus 5T? See also: This is the OnePlus 6 Yep, the OnePlus 6 definitely… [Continue Reading]

2017 was the year of DevOps with companies focusing on delivering better customer experience and improving operational efficiency. According to a recent Forrester report, over 60 percent of organizations surveyed said they have either already implemented or are expanding their DevOps efforts in the future. With the rise of DevOps, greater investments in software development and a faster release cadence comes a need to measure the impact of these efforts and ensure they are delivering valuable software faster. To do this, organizations are taking a more modern approach to code deployment, release management, and measurement of outcomes. This approach known… [Continue Reading]

Technology companies have been telling us virtual reality will change the world for decades now. While VR has become more popular in recent years, it is still a niche market. Virtual reality will probably become mainstream in the future, but until prices come down even further, it will remain a hobby for enthusiasts. With that said, Google is still banking on virtual reality, especially with its Daydream initiative. Today, the search giant is making a VR positional-tracking tool called "Seurat" open source. The code is being hosted on GitHub. "Last year at I/O, we announced Seurat as a powerful tool to… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 offers a number of power plans you can switch to, depending on your needs. 'Balanced' is the recommended choice, but if you have a high-end system and want to really get the most out of it, it’s worth activating the new Ultimate Performance power plan. This new plan is really designed for workstations, but gamers and video editors will benefit from it too. It likely won’t be available to simply switch to on your PC, but you can enable it with this simple hack. SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How… [Continue Reading]

When a person celebrates a birthday, they often receive gifts, eat cake, and spend time with friends and family. After all, it is intended to be a happy occasion as the person marks another year of life. But what the heck does a Linux distribution do to celebrate a birthday? In the case of the excellent KaOS operating system, the answer is simple -- release an updated ISO. Yes, as a way to mark the 5th birthday of the KDE-focused distro, version 2018.04 is now available for download. You get Plasma 5.12.4, Linux kernel 4.15.7, Libreoffice 6.0.3, and more. "It is… [Continue Reading]

Two-hundred-and-eighty-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. The Windows 10 version 1803 update is out; since it has quite a large number of bugs and issues, you may find Wayne's tutorial on rolling back to the previous version of Windows useful. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The… [Continue Reading]

Irish security developer Safer Networking has released Spybot -- Search & Destroy 2.7, a new version of its Windows free and paid-for anti-malware tool. The major new feature in this release is the addition of an additional Start Center screen giving users access to frequently used functions. It also promises a number of improvements -- including Secure Boot support -- and better reliability. Spybot works on two levels: a free version provides a manual scan and remove tool, while paid-for editions bundle real-time protection in the form of an integrated BitDefender antivirus engine. The new edition’s Start Center is designed… [Continue Reading]

A future enabled by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is not so far off, with the integration of IoT devices rising across industrial settings from oil and gas to building security. The potential to leverage big data and analytics to optimize operations and efficiencies is driving industrial companies to move to IIoT-enabled devices, but these companies are now faced with the challenge of modernizing their legacy production systems. It can be daunting to convert years or decades worth of data to a new infrastructure, which is why we asked Jason Andersen, VP of business line management for Stratus Technologies,… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft launched Windows 10 April 2018 Update this week, and if you rushed to install it you may well have noticed one or two issues. There have been complaints that various apps have been problematic since the update, but Chrome and Cortana seem to be causing the most problems. Microsoft has confirmed that it is aware of issues with Chrome and "Hey Cortana" that can lead to Windows 10 April 2018 Update freezing. A patch is currently being worked on and should be released next week, but the company has a couple of suggestions for fixes you can try in… [Continue Reading]

Twitter has issued a warning to its 330 million users, urging them to change their passwords. The security announcement comes after the company discovered a bug that left passwords stored in unencrypted form in internal logs. While Twitter says that the bug has been fixed and that the plaintext logs have been deleted, it is encouraging the password change out of "an abundance of caution". See also: Twitter bans Kaspersky Lab from buying ads Twitter to ban an array of cryptocurrency ads Thousands of Android apps have built-in crypto keys and passwords Twitter suspends multiple 'tweetdecking' accounts for stealing tweets… [Continue Reading]

More and more cyber threats keep emerging every day, affecting organizations across the board, targeting the entire spectrum of the Internet. Digital or cyber-extortion has come across as the most serious of such threats as it seeks to profit from criminal activity, akin to blackmail. Preventing Digital Extortion from Packt Publishing will teach you the art of preventing digital extortion and securing confidential data. What You Will Learn: Delve into the various types, stages, and economics of digital extortion Understand the science behind different attacks Understand the gravity of and mechanics behind ransomware and prevent and mitigate data breaches and… [Continue Reading]

Now that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is done and rolling out to users, Microsoft can focus all of its energy on the next big feature update. Insiders who haven’t yet opted out of the program will, from today, start receiving updates from the Redstone 5 branch. The first of these updates to be rolled out to Insiders on the Fast ring, as well as Skip Ahead, is Build 17661, and this introduces a number of big changes. SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to upgrade your PC to the Windows… [Continue Reading]

The industrial control systems (ICS) used to run equipment in manufacturing, energy, and other sectors are secured differently from office networks. Vulnerabilities often go unpatched, because organizations are afraid to make changes that might cause downtime. To minimize the chances of exploitation of vulnerabilities, measures put in place include placing ICS components on a separate network, isolating them, or air-gapping them entirely from Internet-connected corporate systems. However, penetration testing performed by Positive Technologies has shown that such measures often fall short in practice, leaving attackers plenty of opportunity to access critical equipment. In tests, attackers were able to penetrate the… [Continue Reading]

It's World Password Day and we've already looked at tips for safe password use, but a new survey from identity management company SailPoint reveals that IT professionals aren't practising what they preach when it comes to password use. In partnership with research company Vanson Bourne, SailPoint surveyed 400 IT decision makers about their password habits and came up with some worrying results. More than half of respondents (55 percent) admitted to reusing passwords across different sites. Choosing strong passwords isn't a widespread habit either. Of the IT decision makers surveyed, 32 percent had used things like a family member's name in a… [Continue Reading]

Ransomware attacks grew by 400 percent last year, largely down to the success of the WannaCry attack. It’s perhaps not surprising that other variants slowed down, but this signals a shift in the way ransomware is being used. A new report from F-Secure shows WannaCry accounted for nine out of every 10 ransomware detection reports by the end of the year. The use of other ransomware by cyber criminals seemed to decline though. This is a phenomenon that F-Secure's security advisor Sean Sullivan says points to amateur cyber criminals losing interest in ransomware. "After the summer, there was a noticeable… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users doubtless will, you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy. If you've been using Windows 10 for a while you’ll probably know how to do this, although the process may be slightly different to what you've been used to. SEE ALSO: How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden… [Continue Reading]

We're constantly being told that the password's days are numbered. No less a figure than Bill Gates predicted the end of the password as far back as 2004. Yet we still rely on them to protect many of our day-to-day activities. To mark today’s World Password Day, Raj Samani, chief scientist and fellow at McAfee, has produced a set of tips that people can follow to make the best use of passwords. Create Strong Passwords. Never use family names, pets, birthdays, '12345' or 'password'. Many websites and apps will prompt you to include a combination of numbers, lowercase and uppercase… [Continue Reading]

Linux Mint is a pretty good Linux distribution. Many people love it because of the Cinnamon desktop environment. Hell, despite having other DE versions -- such as Mate -- the Linux Mint operating system sort of exists only because of Cinnamon. I mean, look -- Mint is based on Ubuntu, so if you want to use Mate or Xfce environments, for instance, why not just run Ubuntu Mate or Xubuntu? The thing is, Cinnamon is available to any distro that wants to use it -- it is not only a Linux Mint affair. Since the Mint team both maintains and… [Continue Reading]

Branching out into yet another field, Amazon has launched its own pet product brand, Wag. This is not the first time the company has launched an own-label product -- it has already enjoyed success with household goods and baby products. Available to Amazon Prime subscribers, the Wag line starts off with dry dog food, but it will expand into further supplies soon. See also: Amazon now offers a smart home security installation service Amazon Prime subscriptions increase to $119 in the US -- here's how to avoid the price hike Amazon Key In-Car lets Prime subscribers have orders delivered to… [Continue Reading]

Earlier today, LG revealed its latest Android flagship smartphone. It is called the "G7 ThinQ" and oh wow, it looks damn nice! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised -- LG has long made impressive smartphones. With the exception of the fairly terrible LG G5, both its "G" and "V" series have been consistently great. This new G7 ThinQ has something that may annoy you, however -- a notch. Yeah, all the manufacturers seem to be copying the iPhone X in this regard. It's a very polarizing topic -- some folks like a notch, while others hate it. Me? I don't really… [Continue Reading]

While many companies seem to focus on a race to the bottom these days, offering low-cost and low-quality devices, Huawei has taken a much different approach. You see, Huawei makes extremely elegant tech products that are also affordable. If you buy one of its tablets, laptops, or smartphones, you will be in for a treat. They are well-designed and won't break the bank. Quite frankly, you can tell the company truly cares about what it produces -- Huawei wants its customers to be delighted, and it succeeds. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a favorite of mine. I have been… [Continue Reading]

A new study of password and account security on 55 of the world's most popular travel-related sites reveals that 89 percent leave their users' accounts potentially exposed to hackers due to unsafe password practices. The research by password management company Dashlane tested each website on five critical password and account security criteria. A site received a point for each criterion it met, for a maximum score of 5/5. Any score below 4/5 was considered failing and not meeting the minimum threshold for good password security. Only 11 percent (6/55) passed with a score of 4/5 or better, and only one… [Continue Reading]

Workload automation specialist Turbonomic has released a major update to its software, delivering application-aware infrastructure and making any type of workload -- virtual, cloud and container -- self-managing. Turbonomic's AI-powered decision engine analyzes performance, cost and compliance data across the entire IT stack and generates trustworthy decisions at scale faster than before. It also delivers continuous automation of AWS Reserved Instance (RI) utilization, in concert with re-sizing actions, enabling greater elasticity and often driving 30 percent or more cloud savings. It enables greater understanding of application resource utilization and topology too, and the automating of decisions. New Application Performance Management (APM)… [Continue Reading]

Samsung’s flagship smartphones get a lot of coverage, but not everyone can afford the latest state-of-the-art handsets. The South Korean tech giant offers a number of more affordable devices, and today it announces the Galaxy A6 and A6+. The new phones feature powerful front and rear cameras, Super AMOLED screens and Samsung’s signature Infinity Display, offering an 18.5:9 screen ratio. The larger Galaxy A6+’s Dual Camera has a Live Focus mode, meaning users can control the depth of field and bokeh effect before or after taking a shot. The phone supports Dolby Atmos optimized audio through headphones and includes face… [Continue Reading]

A critical remote code execution vulnerability has been discovered in two Schneider Electric applications heavily used in manufacturing, oil and gas, water, automation and wind and solar power facilities. The vulnerability, discovered by cyber exposure company Tenable, could, if exploited, give cyber criminals complete control of the underlying system. Attackers would also be able to use the compromised system to move laterally through the network, exposing additional systems to attack. In a worst case scenario, attackers could use the vulnerability to disrupt or cripple plant operations. The vulnerability impacts InduSoft Web Studio, an automation tool used to develop human-machine interfaces… [Continue Reading]

Your web browser remembers every page you visit, making it easy to return to a site you saw earlier. Timeline is a similar idea, but for the latest version of Windows 10. It remembers all of the different tasks, apps and files you’ve been working on, across your various Windows devices. In future it will even work with Microsoft’s many iOS and Android apps, and maybe third-party apps too. SEE ALSO: How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden features in the Windows… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has just released another huge update to Windows 10. The April 2018 Update introduces lots of new features and general improvements, including Timeline, and Focus Assist, as well as some lesser known improvements. Of course, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed afterwards. In other words, the April 2018 Update could be responsible for taking a massive bite out of your free hard drive space -- tens of gigabytes in fact. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update… [Continue Reading]

The most common infection vectors are still email phishing and drive-by downloads according to the latest threat report from AI security specialist Cylance. The report provides a real-world glimpse into major cyber threats that affected Cylance’s customer base in 2017. Along with industry trends and analysis, and data from thousands of government entities and organizations of all sizes across 160 countries that have adopted a prevention-first approach to security. It shows destructive attacks continue to rise with ransomware families leading the pack, growing three-fold during the year and affecting the healthcare industry the most. More than half of 2017's attacks… [Continue Reading]

Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time with companies across different industries, listening and working to understand their unique needs. As their respective landscapes evolve, it’s clear that each of them is looking for technology that accelerates the execution of their most imperative objectives. With that in mind, I want to take a look at a few specific industries, examining issues they face as well as their plans for innovating for the future. First up: financial services. From my perspective, there are three pivotal shifts underway. Innovation Through Digitalization Major financial institutions have struggled with the move… [Continue Reading]

Best friends are hard to come by. Once the right one is found, we tend to make conscious choices to invest in those relationships in order to build the right foundation for the future. Unfortunately for many CIOs, it’s a pretty short list of applicants. As organizations change and grow, CIOs will be the resident experts on things like big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation. Not only is this a weighty charge, CIOs are at the forefront of change management, which can feel isolating as they forge new paths. Now, as automation becomes mainstream, many CIOs are… [Continue Reading]

These days, thanks to smartphones and tablets, consumers are quite adept at typing on glass. Believe it or not, this was not an easy transition. Many early smartphones had physical keyboards, making typing a better experience. Ultimately, screen real estate won out, and consumers preferred all-screen devices, such as the iPhone. Unfortunately, while typing on a touch screen smartphone is very doable, it isn't exactly a comfortable or productive affair. When possible, most people would probably prefer to use a larger physical keyboard. Battery-powered Bluetooth keyboards make this possible, and one model in particular -- the Logitech Keys-To-Go -- is extremely… [Continue Reading]

For almost a decade, most of us using Facebook have trusted it with our personal data. We shared pictures, locations of fun places we visited, friends --old and new -- with whom we connected, 'liked' activities, and much more. And we did this not knowing our personal information was being used in ways beyond anyone's comprehension. As we watch the Facebook story unfold, we may wonder whether this crisis could have been avoided had personal data privacy and governance been better handled. Such initiatives could be complex and expensive for any company, but is it fair to say there are… [Continue Reading]

At its F8 conference today, Facebook revealed details of an upcoming tool it is working on --- Clear History. The tool will let Facebook users not only see which sites and apps gather information about usage, but also let users delete this information. The privacy-centric tool comes as the social network slowly comes to the realization "that people want more information about how Facebook works and the controls they have over their information". The ability to delete browsing histories from Facebook appears to be a direct response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which private data was shared without consent.… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has introduced a number of big new features in Windows 10 1803, the April 2018 Update, including Timeline, Focus Assist, and more. With each new OS update, however, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this latest release. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out now How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden features in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to download… [Continue Reading]

The Like button is synonymous with Facebook, and ever since its inception people have been clamoring for its nemesis to be added to the site. The arrival of 'reactions' two years ago pleased some people, as it gave them the opportunity to express a negative response to something -- but there was still no Dislike button. The social network is currently testing a feature which is a step closer to the option people have been asking for for so long. Currently being trialed is a comment voting system that lets users upvote or downvote comments left by others. See also:… [Continue Reading]

With a name like 'SiliVaccine' you could be forgiven it's something your doctor would give you if you were worried about turning into a clown. But in fact this is North Korea's home grown antivirus product. Check Point Software has obtained and analyzed a rare copy of the software and discovered key components of its source code to be identical to a 10-year old copy of Trend Micro's AV software. Analysis has also uncovered that SiliVaccine is designed to allow a specific malware signature to pass undetected to users, and an update patch for the software contained JAKU malware, which… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday was all about Windows 10. Microsoft released its latest major version, called "April 2018 Update," and it is actually quite good -- for Windows, that is. Linux users won't likely care about that, however, as today there is an arguably more important operating system release -- Fedora 28. Yes, following an official Beta release, the distribution of choice for Linus Torvalds -- the father of Linux -- becomes available today. Fedora 28 has many new features, but one in particular will surely excite desktop/workstation users -- GNOME 3.28, which introduces Thunderbolt 3 support and improved laptop battery life. Fedora… [Continue Reading]

A few weeks ago we spoke to ThinkMarble about the impending arrival of GDPR and the company's virtual data protection office service. As the May 25th deadline draws closer, the company has released some research data that shows almost three-quarters of UK businesses are unaware of the lawful basis for processing data and a quarter still don't know, or are unsure of, where the personal data they are responsible for is currently held. The data, sourced from more than 250 businesses that completed ThinkMarble's GDPR Readiness online portal tool, also reveals that 79 percent of businesses haven't reviewed their data… [Continue Reading]

As the keenly awaited Windows 10 April 2018 update (Windows 10 1803) begins its roll out, IT professionals will be interested to see what features it offers them. Among the developments of interest to professionals is the Windows Autopilot feature which offers cloud powered device management. Using Intune, Autopilot now allows the device to be locked during provisioning until policies and settings for the device get provisioned, ensuring that by the time the user gets to the desktop, the device is secured and configured correctly. Autopilot is available on Surface, Lenovo, and Dell devices, with other OEMs coming onboard in… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 April 2018 Update is slowly rolling out to users with compatible systems, but don’t expect to be offered it any time soon. If you can’t wait to try the new features, the good news is Microsoft has updated its Media Creation tool to include the update and you can use this to download Windows 10 now and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD. This is particularly handy if you want to perform a clean install, or update multiple computers in quick succession. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out… [Continue Reading]

We've already written quite a bit about Windows 10 April 2018 Update, and there's a reasonable chance that you've taken the plunge and installed it. While there are new features to get excited about, some have people more concerned than excited -- such as Timeline. In theory, the feature sounds great, making it possible to synchronize your activities between devices, but it's also something of a privacy nightmare. Timelime -- by design and because of its very nature -- gathers a huge amount of information about you and what you do within Windows 10. Thankfully, you can disable it. See… [Continue Reading]

If you have ever experienced spotty or weak Wi-Fi coverage in your home, you know just how frustrating it can be. Look, like it or not, we all crave to be connected to the internet at all times these days. When we can't connect, it can feel like pure misery (first-world problems, I know). Yeah, you can buy range extenders or run Ethernet cable, but that can be a pain in the butt. Thankfully, mesh networking is here to save the day. If you aren't familiar, this is is where several access points are used simultaneously to blanket a home… [Continue Reading]